Buelow: A Friend

William Buelow exchanged messages with Maria Bacon MacDonald after seeing one of her poems in a holiday card. What followed was a series of beautiful works based on 25 poems she sent to him.

The poem "A Friend" shows a great joy and love of friendship, which Buelow carries skillfully into the music:

The heart needs lots of loving,
It can suffer day and night
And carry heavy burdens,
Though they’re hidden out of sight.

You can’t tell just by looking,
What is going on inside,
For the head that’s held the highest
Often has the most to hide.

The shoulders that seem strongest
Sometimes have weight to bear,
And the person who is smiling
Has just wiped away a tear.

Yes, the heart needs lots of loving
If its aches are going to mend,
And for that very reason,
God has given us a friend.