Simply Blessed » Music

For Free

heartsdeesire — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:21:42 +0000

Joni Mitchell wrote a song “For Free” many years ago. It was the song
about the sax (?) player, playing on a noisy street corner. A song of how
everyone passed his music by. That song left an indelible imprint, a resolve
in me to take less for granted. I wanted to notice, to appreciate and to savor more.

This is also probably the number one tool that could get someone out
of a mild depression. Just to make it your only job to look, to listen, to observe
the beauty and the wonder that abounds.

Did you know the average healthy mature oak tree has over 200.000 leaves?
That’s a lot of appreciation to go around. And when they drop they give nutrients
to the soil, it’s a double dipper appreciation!

No one has counted the needles of a redwood but they produce over 100,000 cones a year, thus a single tree can produce over ten million seeds annually. That’s one Fertile Myrtle (though technically not in the Myrtle family :))

For Free.

The air, your breath, your thoughts, your feelings, your talents, your beating heart
16 trillion behind-the-scenes processes in your body ….

For Free.

receiving and giving love, adoring anything or anyone for a millisecond or a life time
The man on the street corner strumming his guitar
a thank you, with the flesh of a palm reaching out to another palm
unexplained synchronicities and explained ones too
hugs and kisses

For Free.

the smells of freshly cooked food
the admiration for the time and talent that went into that food
including the appreciation for the plants and animals that provided this nourishment

For Free.

Your body as your temple
The song of the meadowlark in the distance
or the song of crisp clean sheets snapping across the air
the shore seagulls scurrying for fresh food at low tide
the water of which we are made
and the formlessness to which we return

Suzanne

heartsdeesire — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:06:41 +0000

I posted the lyrics to Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” a few weeks ago. Fran, one of my blog readers, reminded me of another one of his songs, “Suzanne”. Lyrics below and a youtube video from 1976 with both Leonard Cohen and Judy collins singing it. Judy Collins was my introduction to Leonard Cohen. Her earlier recordings contained many Leonard Cohen songs . You may know Leonard Cohen as a brilliant lyricist, singer, musician. I think of him as a great poet also.

Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she’s half crazy
But that’s why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you’ve always been her lover
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you’ve touched her perfect body with your mind.

And Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said “All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them”
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
And you want to travel with him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you’ll trust him
For he’s touched your perfect body with his mind.

Now Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbour
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that you can trust her
For she’s touched your perfect body with her mind.

Heart Desires

heartsdeesire — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:19:17 +0000

What about love?

Deeply, passionately enamored with something, anything

Love will find you in the innocence of night and re-kindle that spark

The very scent of desire wafts about your nose and beckons you to come hither

Now from behind you, you hear the slow steady insistent beat of a rhythm

You’ve heard this rhythm before, it’s the one that calls you out towards being something more

You breathe in sync to the rhythm with this river of breath and it pulls you in so slowly, so seductively

You can no longer contain it, deny or delay it.

This is what you came here for, to ride the wings of desire, to gallop across a sky and paint it with the rainbows of your heart’s desire

Now when you lose touch with this passion, remember this place,
be ever faithful to your heart’s calling.

It is as vast as infinity and as wide as your love for it.

After the storm, a rainbow comes – someone has painted their glory across the sky.

They say don’t die with your music still in you.

I say don’t die with your heart’s desires still in you.

Believe

heartsdeesire — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:02:18 +0000

Kahlil Gibran has said the deeper that sorrow cuts into your being the more joy you can contain. And so it is, as we weave through this crazy thing called life, that sometimes sorrow does run deep but I find comfort in knowing, as Enya’s song brilliantly reflects below – believe and you will find a way. And more than that, believe that goodness will come from your anguish, that at some point you will know that you are more than you were before for having stepped through and beyond it. May that promise live within you now, I know that it does within me.

Composed and performed by Enya
Lyrics by Roma Ryan

May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true
You walk a lonely road
Oh! How far you are from home

Mornie utúlie (darknesss has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie (darknesss has fallen)
A promise lives within you now

May it be the shadows call
Will fly away
May it be your journey on
To light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun

Mornie utúlie (darknesss has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie (darknesss has fallen)
A promise lives within you now

A promise lives within you now

August Rush

heartsdeesire — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:20:05 +0000

Listen, can you hear it?
The music
I can hear it everywhere
In the wind
In the air
In the light
It’s all around us
All you have to do is open yourself up.
All you have to do is listen.

Opening Lines from the Movie August Rush

Light ‘O Mine

heartsdeesire — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 19:27:20 +0000

In honor of my friend Luana, who inspired me to sing this song yesterday. In honor of my birthday today! In honor of all of YOUR birthdays! Whoever you are, wherever you are, let yourself shine from time to time.

If you care to add another lyric to this song, Luana taught me this one: I’ve got a home in glory land that outshines the sun. Many blessings to you all.

I Can See Your Halo

heartsdeesire — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 02:25:13 +0000

For those of you who follow this blog regularly, the Chinese five element blog post on water has been deleted and the series has been scrapped for now. There are some copyright issues so until such time that I can distill the work in a more experiential manner, I won’t be posting further on it. Meanwhile I will continue to study with the author Jean Haner and encourage any of you who are interested in the material to attend a face reading, a workshop or both. At the very least you will find it highly entertaining and you just might walk away from it as fascinated and enthralled by it as I was and am.

So…back to our regular scheduled programming. I’m a bit Johnny-come-lately or should I say Bethie-come-lately on this, since the song has been out for many months now, but how much do I love Beyonce’s song – Halo. When I sing the lyrics, it’s not the love of my life I’m addressing, for me, it’s God, Spirit. It’s the Beloved with a capital “B”. It is such a beautiful way to tap into Spirit, to sing — “everywhere I’m looking now, I’m surrounded by your embrace … it’s like I’ve been awakened … you hit me like a ray of sun, burning through my darkest night … you know you’re my saving grace, you’re everything I need and more”.

And yes there was a time, actually many times when I’d thought I’d go it alone. Sometimes I thought, hey God, I’ve got this one handled. Other times I just forget to lean on Spirit altogether only to find myself humbled again at the pure ecstacy of standing in the light, the love and the all encompassing perfection of Spirit.

This youtube version below was adapted for the Hope For Haiti now project several months ago. What a beautiful demonstration of love to sing to an entire nation – I can see your halo. What if we said to everyone we met today, silently or otherwise – I can see your halo.

Remember those walls I built
Well, baby they’re tumbling down
And they didn’t even put up a fight
They didn’t even make up a sound

I found a way to let you in
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now

It’s like I’ve been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin’
It’s the risk that I’m takin’
I ain’t never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I’m looking now
I’m surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you’re my saving grace

You’re everything I need and more
It’s written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won’t fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

Hit me like a ray of sun
Burning through my darkest night
You’re the only one that I want
Think I’m addicted to your light

I swore I’d never fall again
But this don’t even feel like falling
Gravity can’t forget
To pull me back to the ground again

Feels like I’ve been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin’
The risk that I’m takin’
I’m never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I’m looking now
I’m surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you’re my saving grace

You’re everything I need and more
It’s written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won’t fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
Halo, halo

Everywhere I’m looking now
I’m surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you’re my saving grace

You’re everything I need and more
It’s written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won’t fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

Songwriters: Bogart, Evan Kidd; Knowles, Beyonce Gisselle; Tedder, Ryan Benjamin

Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye

heartsdeesire — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:03:33 +0000

It was the mid 1980s and for the sum total of one evening I thought I was in love with him. But most of the time we were just very good friends. His name was Stan Easton.

I was in nursing school. My schedule was hectic and beyond busy. Stan called one day. I wasn’t at home. I often wondered if things would have been different had I been home to take that call. A few days later, he ran a tube from his car’s muffler into his bedroom and died.

Before his death, he had trouble sleeping. I loaned him a Judy Collins album to help him sleep. On it, Leonard Cohen’s song: Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye. He still had the album when he died. What I wanted to say to him then and still do, is exactly that — hey, that’s no way to say goodbye.

Although I fault you not for what you felt you had to do and I imagine your hair upon the pillow in an eternal “sleepy golden storm” … forever there, forever loved, forever remembered. “You know my love goes with you, as your love stays with me, it’s just the way it changes like the shoreline and the sea.”

I loved you in the morning, our kisses deep and warm,
your hair upon the pillow like a sleepy golden storm,
yes, many loved before us, I know that we are not new,
in city and in forest they smiled like me and you,
but now it’s come to distances and both of us must try,
your eyes are soft with sorrow,
Hey, that’s no way to say goodbye.

I’m not looking for another as I wander in my time,
walk me to the corner, our steps will always rhyme
you know my love goes with you as your love stays with me,
it’s just the way it changes, like the shoreline and the sea,
but let’s not talk of love or chains and things we can’t untie,
your eyes are soft with sorrow,
Hey, that’s no way to say goodbye.

I loved you in the morning, our kisses deep and warm,
your hair upon the pillow like a sleepy golden storm,
yes many loved before us, I know that we are not new,
in city and in forest they smiled like me and you,
but let’s not talk of love or chains and things we can’t untie,
your eyes are soft with sorrow,
Hey, that’s no way to say goodbye.

~Leonard Cohen~

Wonderer

heartsdeesire — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:55:14 +0000

There are several translations of this Rumi poem. This version is the one sung in this particular youtube video. Listen to this and you will know the song by heart and maybe you will find yourself singing or humming it during the day and remembering, most of all, that it doesn’t matter if you’ve broken your vows a thousand times before … just come. Lovely!

Come, come, whoever you are
Wonderer, worshipper, lover of leaving

Come, come, whoever you are
This isn’t a caravan of despair

And it doesn’t matter if you’ve broken your vows
a thousand times before

And yet again, come again, come, and yet again, come
‘Cause it doesn’t matter if you’ve broken your vows
a thousand times before

Come again, come, come again
~Rumi~

Love Is Divine

heartsdeesire — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:05:16 +0000

Following on the heels of yesterday’s post, A Good Day, I wanted to write more on the theme of self love. True, wholehearted self love is rooted in a fidelity with yourself. It requires a commitment, a faithfulness and a willingness to not just know your truth but to live up to it. This means that you make your choices not based on: is it wrong? is it right? is it good? is it bad? but … is it mine? Is it mine to do? is it mine to give? is it mine to speak? is it mine to feel? Is it? Only you can know this. These are your Truths and no one else’s. If you’ve ever forsaken and abandoned yourself in deference to what you thought should be your truth, it’s never too late to write a new history. Starting now you can renew your vow to be ever faithful to who you are and how you choose to show up in this world. This is the “heart and soul” of self love.

I invite you to listen to this song below, Love’s Divine, by Seal as if it’s speaking to you on this very topic – the journey to honoring one’s self.

Then the rainstorm came, over me
And I felt my spirit break
I had lost all of my, belief you see
And realized my mistake
But time threw a prayer, to me
And all around me became still

I need love, love’s divine
Please forgive me now I see that I’ve been blind
Give me love, love is what I need to help me know my name

Through the rainstorm came sanctuary
And I felt my spirit fly
I had found all of my reality
I realize what it takes

‘Cause I need love, love’s divine
Please forgive me now I see that I’ve been blind
Give me love, love is what I need to help me know my name

Oh I, don’t bend, don’t break
Show me how to live and promise me you won’t forsake
‘Cause love can help me know my name

Well I try to say there’s nothing wrong
But inside I felt me lying all along
But the message here was plain to see
Believe me

‘Cause I need love, love’s divine
Please forgive me now I see that I’ve been blind
Give me love, love is what I need to help me know my name

Oh I, don’t bend, don’t break
Show me how to live and promise me you won’t forsake
‘Cause love can help me know my name

Love can help me know my name

*this post is dedicated in appreciation to Holly Sorensen, amazing friend and mentor of sorts, who has taught me over the years, more about radical self love than anyone