Song: Tall Grass

Years ago I took a nap and woke up with some lines in my head that went "You are the dreamer (are the dreamer ) I am a beggar packing off my dreams upon a panther's back." I thought it was a cool line but I had no idea what to do with it so it stayed in my head for, no lie, the past 14 years. Today while walking I had two unrelated lines come to mind and I came home and put them down. The narrative started telling itself and suddenly I found my dreamer/beggar lines popping out. After having Chad and my friend Alison read it we decided to nix the panther though (or as I fondly referred to him, "Kitty".) It's part fantasy, part reality. While I'm not sure if it's more appropriate as lyrics or poetry, I'm just glad that I finally became inspired to create something new. This may change over time but here's the version that exists now.

  You came to me, a boy so tall and fine

Your eyes of blue, 

hair glimmering in the sunshine

And me a girl so new in the world

I thought I'd found my paradise

Every glance from you a promise

Calling me away, and carrying me away...

So I followed you, to the castles in your mind

and I stayed awhile, in those places lost in time.

And though I knew I could never stay

I came around and lay there anyway

And I watched as your wall of dreams

faded away...

Somewhere in the back of my mind

my own walls

were fading away...

and somewhere deep inside I knew

I was fading away.

Fading away...

And you were the dreamer

Yea, you were the dreamer,

and I was the begger packing off my dreams

Running deep into the night 

to a place you could not find me

and lure my mind away

The night grew longer 

with your mist at my heals

and I ran from the place that I was

hoping that you'd never find the door

But you found me there

and carried me home.

Now I live in this place of mirrors and smoke

waiting for that day

when truth was what you spoke

Not just dreams to surround me

but solid earthen walls

Not just promises made

but finally your all.

Song: Travelin'

So I wrote Travelin' based on some lines I woke up with in my head a while ago. It was meant to be a bluesy-rock number along the lines of something you'd hear from John Fogerty. My feelings about it differ from time to time. Sometimes I like it a lot, others I'm not sure it's my strongest effort, other times I actually don't like it at all but it was a sentiment that I often find myself feeling: "Funny how time flies when you spend your life waiting for life to begin."

Repeatedly in my adult life I've found myself in a life situation that's nowhere near where I picture myself being and my only reassurance comes from the though of "one day, one day" until so many days have passed that I wonder how much of my life is going to pass without any of my dreams coming true. This song was meant to be a mantra about getting off your butt and making those hopes and dreams come true. I'm guilty of not heeding my own words most of the time but I'm trying (thus the blog)!

Despite the fact that my mood is now questioning the quality of the lyrics at this point (I've even tried rewriting some parts to fit my mood today to little avail) I wanted to put up something different from the previous two "Song" entries; something that wasn't so floaty star-childish in imagery as they are, so I've opted for this one. So without further ado:

Hey baby, never really lived

so I'm packing my bags for a trip to the horizon

And maybe while I'm there

I'll buy a ticket to nowhere

and find some time to clear my mind

Funny how time flies

when you spend your life waiting for life to begin

So time stop- it's my turn to fly

bring me to the house of the rising sun

Time to breathe, my life's begun

Gonna paint me a picture of the wind

Gonna sing me a song of the night

Gonna stray from the path

`cause life sure won't last

And I want to see all the sights

Funny how time flies

when you spend your life waiting for life to begin

So time stop- it's my turn to fly

bring me to the house of the rising sun

Time to breathe, my life's begun

And I'll paint my pictures of the wind

and dance in the halo of night

I'll have no more fear,

`cause I'm leavin' it here

And I'll stray from that path

`cause life just won't last

So I've got to be travelin' on

yea, I've got to be travelin on.

Song: Stardust

About a year or so ago I was moved to write Stardust. It was inspired by the idea that we are all made up of the dust and elements that have been around since the creation of the universe; that within us all is the same spark of creation. Funny enough, this idea based in astrophysics is far more spiritual in esscense to me than anything I ever learned in Sunday School. The idea that you and I are created from amazing cosmic stuff and not just simply bone and sinew on such a mundane scale. There's a far more intricate connection between you, me and the furthest reaches. Call it stardust or Sophia, either way it's far more meaningful than saying simply ashes to ashes.

Once I wrote it my intent was to turn it into a children's book with each spread containing two lines on the left page and the spread having a full illustration. I haven't had the time to do that sort of illustration work so it remains a poem (although I was told by one of the many promise makers that they wanted to put it to music for me.) For now it remains what it was intended to be: a little story dedicated to the children that have been born around the time and since I wrote it, and some that were around long before: My nieces and nephews (including Amber and Ashley Slater (Ash will actually be the face I use in the illustrations) and Tommy and Kylie), Alex and Grace Marino, Elliot Robinson, Alex Currie, and all the rest, including the new ones that are only now being expected. You know who you are. ;) )

Stardust in and all around
filling me and building round
for with the burst of first debris
came first the world and then came me

I am the earth I am the sky
I am the spark of time gone by
Born of earth and of the sea
all creation resides in me

There was a time so long ago
I was a piece of fallen snow
and further past than that, you see
the universe was part of me

So when you feel you are apart
know the stardust in your heart
for you are so much more to me
than simply flesh made symmetry

Like songs to sing and winds that blow
you began so long ago
and back again you will alight
into that place of stardust bright

Song: Annsachd

Annsachd was one my “channeling” songs, as I call them. You know, the ones that you write but you have no idea where it comes from. My stuff is in boxes so, sorry, I can’t translate the chorus for you as I had a friend do it for me in the first place. I think it’s Gaelic or Welsh. Not sure how accurate it is but once I have the original I’ll put it back to English. Enjoy...

Upon the night and spirit sky

Came soon my love who long did by

Within his eyes did twilight bide

Upon his lips did heaven spy

True an angel though a man

Gave endless love and fallen sand

Upon my face the starlight fell

Within my heart his spirit dwell

Chorus:

Caethiwch fy'nhalon i fy'n ysbryd fi


Cafodd ni eu geni ni, rhwng seren a wyneb glan


Nid marwolaeth, neu bradwriaeth, na mor stormus crif


yn gallu i cadw fy'n nghariad i mi


Atop the waves he rode away
Upon the shores I wait this day
Between we two an endless world
Tied heart to heart a starlight cord

Forever seems he gone from me
Sleep sound beneath an oaken tree
Moonlight bring him sound by night
Fill my heart with faerie light

Within the shelter of sylvan tree
Dance true forever my love to me
Upon the end of graceless world
Shine down your light, true love unfurled

Chorus:

Caethiwch fy'nhalon i fy'n ysbryd fi


Cafodd ni eu geni ni, rhwng seren a wyneb glan


Nid marwolaeth, neu bradwriaeth, na mor stormus crif


yn gallu i cadw fy'n nghariad i mi


Ancient starlight watch over you
Til heaven’s grace unites we two
When day ends my love returns
And endless night my heart does yearn

Sleep me now beneath the sky
Perhaps my love should happen by
And shall he then come for me
To sleep forever beneath oaken tree

Chorus:

Caethiwch fy'nhalon i fy'n ysbryd fi


Cafodd ni eu geni ni, rhwng seren a wyneb glan

Nid marwolaeth, neu bradwriaeth, na mor stormus crif

yn gallu i cadw fy'n nghariad i mi