song

Kansas: Dust in the Wind

I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone
All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind
Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, all your money won't another minute buy

This song is perfect for the overall meaning of this book. Yonnondio is the title of a poem, by Walt Whitman, placed at the beginning of this book.

Yonnondio! Yonnondio!--unlimn'd they disappear;
To-day gives place, and fades--the cities, farms, factories fade;
A muffled sonorous sound, a wailing word is borne through the air
for a moment,
Then blank and gone and still, and utterly lost.

The poem is about taking notice of people who are gone and should not be forgotten. Dust in the wind, often played at funerals, expresses the brevity of life and the insignificance of an individuals’ particular journey through life. I believe the point of this book was not only to illustrate the importance of remembering people before us but also to remind us of how short, challenging, and insignificant life can be.  Although the characters in the book never seem to overcome adversity they still had a story that could be told. The lyrics, “I close my eyes only for a moment then the moments gone”, makes me think of the tiny moments of joy the Holbrookes see. Nothing good lasts for very long in their family. However, the song suggests nothing lasts long in general. So in this way, everyone will die and therefore their struggle and story becomes less horrible. Mazie would often contemplate what the stars meant and how vast the universe seemed in comparison with her knowledge. The lyrics “all my dreams pass before my eyes a curiosity” shows the somewhat overwhelming notion of the things you dream to do always being out of reach. When you die all of your unfulfilled dreams die too. In life, likewise, all your curiosity for things you never get or learn simply fade away. “Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky it slips away, all your money won't another minute buy” shows how insignificant things like money actually are. The Holbrookes main problem may be poverty but this song explains that money doesn’t matter. The only thing that really matters is how you spend your time. Time is all you have and when it runs out all you are is “dust in the wind”