Quote of the Day: Draw your lines in the sand

Dream about it 

Draw your lines in the sand 

Sometimes the way things happen 

We don’t need to understand

 

I get oceans of time 

Now I don't look for it 

I get to walk a blurry line 

Into the heart of it

~ Morten Harket

Lyrics from two tracks on new album, Brother.

 

Poem of the Day: Beim Schlafengehen

Beim Schlafengehen

(Going to Sleep)

Now that the day has made me tired,

my longings shall be accepted kindly

by the friendly, starry night

like a weary child.

Hands, stop your activity,

head, forget all of your thoughts;

all my senses now

will sink into slumber.

And my soul, unobserved,

will float about on untrammeled wings

in the enchanted circle of the night,

deep and thousand fold to live.

From Richard Strauss' song series Vier letzte Lieder, text by Hermann Hesse
Translated by Heather Engebretson, soprano


Context for the worried parental unit: I attended a Liederabend, a vocal arts recital by one of my work-study students, a young and upcoming soprano. This is the English translation of a Strauss song featured on the recital (not the soprano mentioned above). It caught my attention because sometimes I have a problem going to sleep - turning my brain off from its busy-ness, and shutting down my other senses. My hands sometimes twitch like I'm still typing, and I need to enter a meditation trance to calm them and my mental activity. The words seemed to echo this state and I wanted to remember how relevant it was to me not long after I heard the song.

(Good grief Mom. It's not a call out for the shrink)

Photo of the Day: Photographic Personal Revelation

For all the Silver Girls, like me, who may need a Friend, or friend or two, to help ease a mind over some troubled waters.

I'm having a series of revelatory moments, which I'm now realizing started last week, of all things, on my morning commute. After a horrendous night with no sleep, due to construction and jack-hammering, and other urban disturbances, I decided to take a later train. Unfortunately, it was one of those commutes where I had to stand in the vestibule the whole way, due to crowding, which is murder on my feet and back, and I got overheated and nauseated. But that's not what was unusual. That morning, I did something seemingly uncharacteristic.

I had the urge to take a photo.

Last night, while flipping through folder of totally unrelated photos,
I had another important little personal revelation.

I realized that sometimes the answers you don't know you need,
come as mere whispers of thought ...
and trigger actions you can't explain.

Look up.
Look up now.

Get your camera out.
Get any camera out.

Look out the windows.
Now.

Really.

Yes.

Now.

Take pictures.

Just here.
Doesn't matter of what.
Doesn't matter if they come out.

Just do it.
That's it.
That's all.

Good girl.

It wasn't until last night that I got the message.

This picture.
Study it.
So you see it almost everyday;
What does it say to you ... today?

Yes.

Beauty can be all around.
In the things you see every day.
Through the grime,
through the routine,
through the drudgery...

LOOK.

Look up.

Fair skies are just on the horizon.

Perhaps the song that I've now triggered in your heart needs to be there for a reason.

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.

Write this down.
You'll need to remember.*

When you're weary, feeling small

When tears are in your eyes,
I will dry them all
I'm on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can't be found

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

When you're down and out
When you're on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you
I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

Sail on Silver Girl,
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
If you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind

~P. Simon, 1969

*Post-script: Today I learned this message wasn't just for me.
Turns out, I may be just the messenger for a Friend.

Lunchtime Lyrics

One of the perks of working in the Concrete Jungle is the opportunity to attend many free, lunchtime concerts. Now, I don't often go out at lunchtime, as I usually eat my desk, blog, watch streaming video, and/or do work. Last week, however, I actually went to a concert called "Music for Guitar and Harps."

In addition to works by de Falla, Villa-Lobos, a tango by Piazzolla (played by a Hungarian in a Quaker-like house of assembly!), and a fantastic Rhapsody for Solo Harp by Granjany, there was an intriquing group of songs for guitar and soprano by Fernando Sor.

This was my favorite little ditty from Sequidillas Boleras:

Muchacha, y la Verguenza

Muchacha, y la verguenza

?Donde se ha ido?

"Las cucarachas, madre,

Se la han comido."

Muchacha, mientes,

Porque las cucarachas

No tienen dientes.

roughly translated:

Hussy, where is your shame?

"Mother, the cockroaches have eaten it."

Hussy, you're lying:

cockroaches don't have teeth.

Ya know, you just don't hear that many songs about hussies and cockroaches. I think we need more.

Plus, do you really want to hear about cockroaches on your lunch hour?