Wednesday, June 4, 2008

If Music be the Food of Love

"The man that hath no music in himself,Nor is not mov'd with concord of sweet sounds,Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils."
- The Merchant of Venice (V, i, 83-85)

A sentimental fool is this lady that I claim to be, crumbling beneath the beautiful lyrics on an old dejected IPOD and a song that had meant so much in a time that shouldn’t be forgot but, was.

The Ipod is a part of the technological age so shouldn't it be cold and unwelcoming? How could it create such an emotional response as say, a poem. Yet, as this lady reclaimed its songs, their past meanings and all the heart-ache that came with these songs resurfaced and grabbed hold of the place it had left alone for years—her heart.

Then she heard it. It was her song from a time passed. It was that song she played every morning to wake her, every afternoon to keep her sane and every night so she wouldn't feel lonely.

It starts with a voice and a guitar. Simple and yet complete. Words so clear and commanding they fill up the soul like the creek nearby that fills after a good rain. Very early on, the song reminds her of the days when she needed this song to push her through the place in herself in which she was stuck.

In that time, things had become different, strange and awkward. Things that once were, had disappeared with their cool even smiles and their laughter. Friends that once were vanished into a darkness that she could not find. She searched but they had left everything behind—they had left her. The music brought them back. They were there, smiling their cool even smiles and talking about forever. That kind of forever resonated and vanished with each chord strum by the guitar.

This song had seen her through the dark hole they had led her to—left her to. She was in it, alone and wondering when life would start again. How could she breathe without them and the things she had hoped would garner her better memories and happier times? When would life start? She hadn’t realized it had started while she was stuck in a hole she had created for herself. Comfortable in her discontent she stayed there, sweltering in her own disappointments. She was too busy waiting for them to come back to realize life was all around her—closing in like a warm blanket in the winter waiting for her to feel its comfort.

As the disgust of these feelings surge within her, the bongos kick into the melody bringing her back to the present. The singers' voice grows stronger. Guitar-voice-bongos; a combination she hadn’t remembered, yet the song still reflected her heartbeat and the surge of life it made her feel.

Then the drums, loud and boisterous added a complete circle to the lyrics and the message swirling, whirling as quickly as her memories. One by one the memories come, infringing on her peaceful thoughts and reminding her of every bit of every battle, every milestone, every tear, every drink, every moment, every smile, every embarrassment, every laugh, and every ache, every everything. Everything fills her heavy heart. Everything is swirling, whirling as quickly as the beat of the drums, the bongos and the guitar.

“Life is wonderful, life goes full circle, life is wonderful.” The “la-las” in between make the song reach to her even further. So simple and so clear they chant to her and lull her back from the sadness as they had once before.

Her eyes widen and a piano comes in playing simple keys she doesn’t know the names of. The keys pound into the soft part of her soul that she hadn’t revealed to anyone. Its that tender section of oneself that only a lover, a friend or a confidant can release. Yet, there it was being exposed by the keys of a piano.
She hasn’t heard the words in years. She has avoided coming back to the song that had once meant so much. What did it mean now? Could it mean as much as it did then?

It meant even more than before. It meant life, cycles, renewal, rebirth, and a reconnection with her old self to find her anew. This song was the glow of the morning sun without the promise ofthe sunset. It was the thought of life without fear of death, and courage without the fear of failure. This song meant everything. This song means everything. This song is her in the form of lyrics, a guitar, bongos, drums and a piano. It is hers and no one else’s unless they need it for a time. She would share it only for those who are stuck hard and unaware of what lies within them.

She would share her song because it was her and it was powerful.
~The Lady~







"Life is Wonderful" -Jason Mraz
It takes a crane to build a crane
It takes two floors to make a story
It takes an egg to make a hen
It takes a hen to make an egg
There is no end to what I'm saying
It takes a thought to make a word
And it takes some words to make an action
And it takes some work to make it work
It takes some good to make it hurt
It takes some bad for satisfaction
Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la la life goes full circle
Ah la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la
It takes a night to make it dawn
And it takes a day to make you yawn brother
And it takes some old to make you young
It takes some cold to know the sun
It takes the one to have the other
And it takes no time to fall in love
But it takes you years to know what love is
And it takes some fears to make you trust
It takes some tears to make it rust
It takes the dust to HAVE it polished
Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la la life goes full circle
Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la
It takes some silence to make sound
And it takes a loss before you found it
And it takes a road to go nowhere
It takes a toll to make you care
It takes a hole to MAKE a mountain
Ah la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la life goes full circle
Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la life is meaningful
Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la life is meaningful
Ah la la la la la la life is full of
Ah la la la la la life is so full of love
Ah la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la la life is meaningful
Ah la la la la la life is full of
Ah la la la la la life is so full of love...

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