My Aymara Moon

The full moon. It has many names: Hunter’s Moon, Harvest Moon, Strawberry Moon, etc. I have a name of my own. Aymara Moon. This is a story about how it came about and why it will always be with me. A few years ago I was working in a small, indigenous community of Aymara people, high in the Andes of South America. The first night, as I sat looking at the amazing world around me, I was blessed both by a full moon and The Southern Cross.

From that moment on I have called a full moon an Aymara Moon for the beautiful people of the Andes. Every time I see it I am transported back to the wonderful night when I was transfixed by that incredible sight. These days when I’m looking intently at the Ozark sky Jan will say “an Aymara Moon” knowing how deeply personal the experience and the Aymara people are to me.

At some point, I began putting it to music singing the phrase “My Aymara Moon” as I came in from such an evening. Eventually, I continued with the words, “hanging with the Southern Cross” which would always trail off into oblivion. I wasn’t thinking about writing a song but I often put my thoughts to music and this was one of those times.

One day, when Michael and I had gotten together, I sang that line to him, and as usual, he continued on with more words and music. We fiddled around with it and by the end of the afternoon, we had a new song. I have a video production facility that doubles as a small recording studio here at my home. It is the same place where we recorded the basic tracks to our “Heartland” album. My studio is computer-based and trying to sing and play while messing with a keyboard, for me is impossible. I had Michael record his guitar and vocal putting down my part after he left. So we eventually managed to record a new song, our first in many years. My Aymara Moon.

Having enjoyed doing music videos, I eventually came up with enough footage to do a video for this song. While there are no Aymara people or anything South American in it, it is, in every way, a love song. I was even able to include a couple of shots of the wedding of my son Matt and his bride Ashley which took place out here in our woods. So I offer up a music video and a new Brewer and Shipley song and recording. My Aymara Moon.