I had never heard the word “cairns” before, when a colleague of mine showed me his rockpile constructions. This vision prompted an explosion in my head and heart: My late wife had collected and polished hundreds of rocks – literally hundreds – of all shapes and sizes, which now lay forlornly across my front porch, driveway, and back yard.

After seeing my friend’s handiwork I made him an offer: come see my stash and take as many as you want to build more cairns. Suddenly, a soft, glowing feeling washed over me – a realization that these “rock people” as he calls them, would live on to be admired.

This feeling inspired me to write this song.