Róisín Conlon
Dublin, Ireland

Music has been a powerful medium for expressing grief throughout the ages.¹ A modern and touching example from the American singer Sufjan Stevens, “Casimir Pulaski Day,”² explores complex narratives of grief and loss.

An upbeat instrumental mix of banjo and trumpet contrasts with the sobering reality of the lyrics, which narrate the illness and death of Stevens’s young friend, spurring a crisis of faith. Their adolescent relationship seems to have accelerated in light of the irrepressible force of her “cancer of the bone.” He presents her with goldenrod, a vibrant yellow flower known for its healing properties, and sings: “We lift our hands over your body and pray but nothing ever happens.” While faith can be a support in moments of existential doubt, it can also evaporate as hastily as it was beckoned.

This is what happens to Stevens upon the death of his friend one March morning:

All the glory that the Lord has made
And the complications when I see His face
In the morning in the window
All the glory when he took our place
But he took my shoulders and he shook my face
And he takes and he takes and he takes

This implies the fragmentation of Stevens’s faith in mourning his friend’s death, as well as an abrupt maturation as he transitions from experiencing the typical adolescent “complications” of kissing to newfound questions of grief and loss. An emotionally traumatic experience upends a dearly held core belief, causing a cascade of emotional turbulence and doubt.

For healthcare professionals, this song highlights the importance of empathy in the wake of a tragic and traumatic event. Casimir Pulaski Day, a local historical celebration in the state of Illinois, now marks the day a young woman was lost to a terminal illness. A previously unremarkable day for most is now redefined as an anniversary of death. Bearing this in mind can guide medical practitioners in working with terminally ill patients and their loved ones.

References

1. O’Neill D. “Broken chords: the music of grief.” BMJ 387 (2024): 2512.
2. Stevens, Sufjan. “Casimir Pulaski Day.” Released July 4, 2005. Track 3 on Illinois. Asthmatic Kitty Records.