Thin Bright Thread

Thin Bright Thread

Verse 1 — Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia

Midnight over Kharkiv, over Zaporizhzhia’s glow, Engines write their iron names across the snow. Windows bloom and shatter, a child’s cry in the dark, Blocks and markets wounded, homes without a spark. Tallies climb in whispers, names no ledger saves, And still they speak of desert talks, a table set for graves— Where bitter smoke might loosen, where soldiers learn to bend, Where three old shadows promise some kind of quieter end.

Sources:

• Euronews: Russian overnight attacks pound Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia
• Al Jazeera: Russia-Ukraine war key events day 1,463
• Ukrinform: War Updates

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Chorus

Hold on, world, by a thin bright thread, Through sirens, storms, and the words we said. When headlines bleed and faith feels spent, We keep the porch light on, and won’t relent.

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Verse 2 — Minas Gerais, Brazil

In Minas Gerais the sky forgot its gentle art, Juiz de Fora, Ubá—rain broke the mountain’s heart. Houses drowned in red earth, a boy named Bernardo gone, Firefighters rake the silence as the longest night wears on. They say the air runs fevered, that we stoked the heat and flame, Peru raises the warning, the rivers shift their name— And somewhere in the thunder, a rescue cuts a seam, But mud keeps back its secrets and refuses to come clean.

Sources:

• Al Jazeera: Death toll in Brazilian floods rises to 46
• Washington Post: Brazil's Minas Gerais death toll rises to 59
• Bloomberg: Heavy Rains Leave Dozens Dead in Southeast Brazil
• CBC News: At least 30 dead from floods in southeastern Brazil

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Chorus

Hold on, world, by a thin bright thread, Through sirens, storms, and the words we said. When headlines bleed and faith feels spent, We keep the porch light on, and won’t relent.

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Verse 3 — Geneva, US–Iran

In Geneva, clocks hold still while careful voices trade, Oman in the hallway like a shadow offering shade. One side wants the spinning slowed, with locks on every door, The other swears off fire, but keeps the right to pour. There’s talk of thinning alchemy, of pausing what is wild, While stealth wings land in Israel, the desert running mild. A president hears options, a vow says no long war, And somewhere in that mirrored room, trust trembles on the floor.

Sources:

• CNN Live Updates: US-Iran Talks in Geneva
• Just Security: Early Edition February 26, 2026
• Democracy Now Headlines February 26, 2026

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Verse 4 — Falcones Cay, Cuba

Off Falcones Cay a Florida hull cut close and fast, A challenge on the water, then muzzle flashes cast. They say the first shots crackled from a deck of salted steel, Bottles built for burning, rifles wrapped in zeal. Names from watch lists hauled up wet, the sea a witness still, A wounded man ashore, a paper trail to fill. “Unusual,” says a senator, an inquiry begins, While oil is squeezed and tempers pull the rope against the wind.

Sources:

• CNN: US Citizen Among Those Killed in Cuba Speedboat Shootout
• NBC News: 10 Cubans on U.S. boat intended to carry out 'armed infiltration'
• CNBC: Cuba says it killed 4 exiles who attacked from Florida speedboat
• Axios: U.S. launches investigation after Cuba kills 4 on Florida boat

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Chorus

Hold on, world, by a thin bright thread, Through sirens, storms, and the words we said. When headlines bleed and faith feels spent, We keep the porch light on, and won’t relent.

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Verse 5 — Rev. Jesse Jackson

Chicago makes a vigil down by Rainbow PUSH, Al and the mayor speaking low in a mournful hush. A student of Martin’s thunder, who ran the longest mile, Who marched for ballots, bread, and every equal aisle. From South Carolina’s cradle to D.C.’s solemn dome, The nation signs the guestbook of a shepherd headed home. Invitations cross the aisle, the choir finds its key, And justice hums beneath the coats in winter’s eulogy.

Sources:

• CBS Chicago: Jesse Jackson memorial services begin
• ABC7 Chicago: Jesse Jackson funeral schedule and live updates
• Chicago Tribune: Rev. Jesse Jackson funeral services begin
• WTTW News: Crowds of Mourners Line Up for Memorial Services

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Verse 6 — Capitol Hill, Hillary Clinton

Behind a closed door hallway, questions loop and wind, She says she never knew that man or islands left behind. Calls the queries circles, with fringe lights in the haze, Says someone shields a leader in a labyrinth of days. She asks to lift the shutters, to pull the hearing wide, The chair calls it productive, another step beside. A photo slips the chamber, the air forgets to move, While someone waits to follow, and the cameras wait to prove.

Sources:

• CNN: Hillary Clinton testifies in Epstein probe
• NBC News: Hillary Clinton says she has no new information on Epstein
• NPR: Hillary Clinton wraps with House Oversight in Epstein investigation
• Axios: Hillary Clinton testifies she never met Epstein

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Bridge

From Black Sea smoke to Brazilian mud, From Geneva glass to Caribbean flood, From a Chicago hymn to Capitol thunder, We are one long breath between fear and wonder.

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Final Chorus

Hold on, world, by a thin bright thread— Tie it to the living, not the dread. Bang the pots, let the rooftops ring, Turn the sirens into drums we sing. When headlines howl and hope seems spent, We keep the porch light on, and won’t relent— Hands on the wheel, eyes on the dawn, Thin bright thread—pull, and carry us on.