The Water Poem

The Water Poem was inspired by a moment at Niagara Falls when Ram Dass received news that his unborn son might not survive. Standing before the rushing water, unable to process its majesty or hear its roar, he could only feel the weight of impending loss. His pregnant wife was on the opposite coast while he was on tour, and they each processed this news alone.

The track explores water as messenger and memory, processing grief through improvised collaboration. The guitar motif emerged in Tulum, Mexico, where the presence of water runs through porous limestone beneath the streets and pools in cenotes of unsubtle blue beauty. Ram Dass worked with Bogdan Djukic and Matias Da Via to fully form the piece through live tracking, drum programming, and shared improvisation.

The vocals are wordless improvisations—vocables created for musical expression, not drawn from any spoken language. The music moves like water itself, from heartbeat percussion to silken strings, capturing the intensity of grief and the soothing power of tears, tea, and flowing rivers.

Part of the album And Now He Has Wings, the track explores life, death, love, grief, and finding serenity through sound.

The music video premiered at the San Francisco Dance Film Festival in 2022. Choreographed by Ramona Kelley, the video tells a story of memory, relationships, and interconnection across time through contemporary dance.