Monthly Archives: June 2016

Wake Up!

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Instrument: Tempo – Seagull Excursion Folk Acoustic Guitar

1. Drinkin’ coffee, eatin’ chocolate, turnin’ up sad songs;
Drinkin’ coffee, eatin’ chocolate, turnin’ up sad songs.
No wonder I can’t sleep! But how do I move on?

2. Feelin’ busy, thinkin’ too much, wantin’ outa here;
Feelin’ busy, thinkin’ way too much, wantin’ outa here.
And when the day is done, I still can’t find the cheer.

3. Wakin’ up all tense and restless, wond’rin’ what to do;
Wakin’ up all tense and restless, wond’rin’ what to do.
How long’s it gonna take to stop and get a clue!

4. Drinkin’ coffee, eatin’ chocolate, turnin’ up sad songs;
Drinkin’ coffee, eatin’ chocolate, turnin’ up sad songs.
They never wake me up, just keep me in the fog.

5. List’nin’ for a welcome word to wash away my fears;
List’nin’ for a welcome word to wash away my fears.
The Spirit calls my name and whispers, “I am here.”

6. I see the Daystar shine and shimmer, lightin’ up my way;
I see the Daystar shine and shimmer, lightin’ up my way;
I feel the dawn in me, it’s lifting me awake!

7. Let the inside and the outside show the Spirit’s love;
Let the inside and the outside show the Spirit’s love.
And let us keep on movin’ on, come on now, let’s wake up!

O let us keep on movin’ on, come on now, let’s wake up!

Related

Faith of Christ

God Bless this Human Mess

Songbird Sing

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Instrument: Tempo – Seagull Excursion Folk Acoustic Guitar
(capo 4)

Soaring high above the clouds
Of chaos in my mind,
I know there is a song to sing
With words I cannot find.

I hunt and peck and try in vain
To force the music out
And feel the pangs of harsh regret
That feed the fire of doubt.

The time has come to let it go
And set the songbird free!
For only when the spirit soars
Can any songbird sing!

I learn to find the hidden nest
Of peace within my mind,
Where love consoles and lifts me over
All the thoughts that bind.

There are no words to look for here,
No melody to sing;
The music of this sacred place
The Spirit plays within.

So, take the time to let it go
And set the songbird free!
For only when the spirit soars
Can you, the songbird, sing!

Download Mp3

Right click this link and choose “Save target as…” or similar to download. Feel free to share for noncommercial purposes only, please.
Songbird Sing Mp3.

—
“Poetics – The Music in You” is today’s prompt over at
dVerse.

Basically the exercise, for poets, is to write a song lyric instead of a poem. Read the post–I totally agree with the part about poems beaing “heard” in a speaking voice, while lyrics are not!

Most of you know by now that I’m a songwriter. However, this one is a song written more like a poem! It has melody, harmony, rhythm, and honestly, I think it turned out well! But you’ll notice it does not have a refrain or chorus. And it’s written in quatrains, those stanzas/verses of 4 lines. They rhyme, as most (all?) of my songs do. But it can be either read alone, listened to as a song, or both.

I hope you enjoy this. I couldn’t resist writing to this prompt, but the result is not what I expected! No, it is much better!

Also published in
Vision through Words

Weather – Haibun

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The weather affects me, whether I like it – or not. What else can truly tell me how to dress for the day? Anything but the weather itself is just someone else’s opinion. What else dictates whether I spend time outside? And if so, doing what? Playing an instrument? Riding a bike? Sledding? Only the weather can tell me; only the weather whethers the changing days.

Waking atmosphere
Bringing in the morning light
Wordless, shaping day.

My first Haibun (prose and Haiku) for
dVerse.

Know Me Well

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Whether we seek to know God, a person, or His other creations, it’s all the same: We cannot truly know, unless and until we give up preconceived expectations, ideas, and judgments.

Instrument: Brio – Red Cedar Concert Ukulele

1. So you think you know me,
‘Cause you passed me on the road a time or two.
And you think you owe me
Your opinions and one version of the truth.

Refrain:
You try to tell my story,
But it is not yours to tell.
When you live without its trappings,
Then you can know me well.

2. So you think you love me,
‘Cause you believe I chose the perfect thing to do.
And you think you hold me
In a pretty little box filled with the proof.
Refrain:

3. So you think you see me,
‘Cause you recognize my body in this place.
And you think you need me
To look the same every time you see my face.

But I am writing you a story
That only you can tell.
When you live the truth inside you,
Then you shall know me well.

When you live the truth inside you,
Then you shall know me well.

You shall know me well.

Elegy to a Loved One

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Prompted by
dVerse

The sorrow doesn’t hurt anymore.
The stabbing pain has gone.
I’m not wounded daily by your passing from this world.
But I feel it like a heavy weight
In my sad eyes,
A lump in my throat,
A burning in my chest,
A knot in my belly.
Sometimes I cry;
Always I remember.

It’s strange, what I miss most about you–

The things you taught me help me every day,
And I am left to wonder
What else you could have shared.
When I pull out my tools
To fix or build something,
My heart aches for your guiding hands,
Encouraging words,
The knowledge you gave me.

Someone else will teach me now,
But not the way you did.
And I will learn,
But from different people, in other times and places.
And my own hands will know the tools,
My heart will see the beauty in the fixed and newly created.
But right now they yearn for what they do not have.

And the laughter?
I can’t talk about that
Without crying.
I don’t even remember what you said.
I just know it was funny;
You always brought a smile to my lips,
A happy tear to my eyes,
A song to my heart.

I realize through the shifting sands of grief and time:
I still have this smile,
This happy tear,
The song you helped me write!
And I am glad!

I don’t always feel peaceful,
Yet I am at peace.
I am strong in the knowing
That you are here now,
As you always were
And ever shall be.
Yours is the Spirit of eternity,
The one that cradles and keeps me
As It still keeps you–
In a new form perhaps,
But no less present
Than when I could touch your hand and hear your voice.

You are the Light of the Ages,
The Love that turns this world,
The tides that move and remove.

You are life,
Abundant and free!
And you are here
In me.
–for Kenny
with the song,
Smilemaker

Mistaken Mistakes

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I didn’t know he was coming
Until it was too late to wonder
Whether I wanted him.

The ultrasound picture of a baby boy sealed the deal:
Yes, I wanted him.

I didn’t know it was time
Until it was too late to be afraid
And go anywhere else.

So, the bathtub was his birthplace,
And I was not afraid.

I didn’t know what would happen
Until it was too late to change
The court’s final decision.

Someone decided I should be the weekend mom,
And everything changed.

But I didn’t know it was time
Until it was too late to stop
Learning, writing, giving, moving.

I learn from others and myself;
I give my best in service to All.

So if something good comes out of it,
Is anything really a mistake?
Or just mistaken?

—
Written for the “mistakes” prompt at
dVerse.

I wasn’t going to post this, because it feels very personal. But it gives me courage to know I’m not the only one. My son, my divorce are not just mine; others have them and relate to them. Maybe this will help someone.

Related

Time for Lettin’ Go

The Metaphysics of Divorce