A Flower of Light in a Field of Darkness

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A Flower of Light in a Field of Darkness

by SeasideMan ^Pro @ 11/07/09 – 10:19:02

I found this graffiti on a rock on Borth bog yesterday. I looked up the words and to my surprise they were from a song sung by Johnny Cash in Folsom prison. The song is called "Greystone Chapel" and was written by Folsom inmate Glen Sherley who was “serving 5 to life for armed robbery“:

"There are men here that don't ever worship
There are men here who scoff at the ones who pray
But I've got down on my knees in that Greystone chapel
And I thank the Lord for helpin' me each day
Now there's Greystone chapel here at Folsom
It has a touch of God's hand on ever stone
It's a flower of light in a field of darkness and it's givin' me the strength to carry on
Inside the walls of prison my body may be, but my Lord has set my soul free"

Sherley had a brief music career when he came out of prison, until he faded into obscurity and eventually killed himself by shooting himself in the head in 1978.

It seems that the "strength to carry on" deserted him.

Tom.
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15 Comments to A Flower of Light in a Field of Darkness

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- deleted user (Visitor)
- 11/07/09 @ 10:21:08
so sad and what beautiful imagery he created
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 11/07/09 @ 10:36:44
  It's a very nice song. Cash stayed up late the night before the concert to learn it specially for him.
  
  Tom.
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- miramaze
- 11/07/09 @ 10:38:09
' a flower of light in a field of darkness' - I'd love to know the story of these words inscribed on the stone .. who put them there , and why.

It's quite magical that you have seen them and written this post

X
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 11/07/09 @ 10:54:32
  I agree, I think we can assume it was a Johnny Cash fan, but more than that I will probably never know...
  
  ...unless the author reads my blog :-)
  - - miramaze
    - 11/07/09 @ 12:05:17
    Now that would be really interesting. I hope he/she does
    
    X
    - - SeasideMan ^Pro
      - 11/07/09 @ 12:41:27
      I live in hope :-)
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- Bushka ^Pro
- Bushka
- 11/07/09 @ 10:59:22
Great words.........'flower of light.......etc' Thanks Tom!
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 11/07/09 @ 11:09:56
  Yes, perhaps prison stimulated his creativity?
  - - Bushka ^Pro
    - Bushka
    - 11/07/09 @ 11:47:58
    Ironically that does seem to happen...there are many other literary parallels....notably, Wilde and Bunyan!
    - - SeasideMan ^Pro
      - 11/07/09 @ 12:41:08
      True, Wilde's Ballad of Reading Gaol is brilliant.
      - Bushka ^Pro
        
        Bushka
        
        11/07/09 @ 17:38:35
        
        Quite amazing the creativity spawned by 'suffering'.....See those Negro Spirituals...
        
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- Rosiebud
- 11/07/09 @ 11:06:38
I'm so sorry that his faith and strength to carry on didn't last
I can't imagine how horrible it must be to spend time in prison, spiritual faith in hard times must be a great comfort.
Maybe his words sung by Johnny cash have helped others who heard the words and gained some strength from them.

XXX
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 11/07/09 @ 11:12:52
  It's a sad story, I agree. I'm certain that Cash's many prison concerts did all the inmates a great deal of good, and they made people in the USA start thinking about prison reform. It's a tribute to Glen Sherley that millions of people have now heard his words and I'm sure must have helped lots of other people.
  
  Tom.
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- jollyweez
- 11/07/09 @ 21:51:26
So very touching. Cash was in prison himself, several times, I think.
He knew what it felt like.
He had a heart of gold
and a voice for the commonplace man.
Thanks for this thought, Tom.
- - SeasideMan ^Pro
  - 11/07/09 @ 21:57:27
  Yes, he was in prison several times, albeit only briefly, but he clearly understood the minds of the prisoners astonishingly well. And people more widely too - his voice and words spoke to so many people, including me. His last 5 albums before he died just cut right to the core of life. Incredibly moving songs and performances.
  
  Tom.
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