June 21, 2012
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LIFE NEEDS MORE SINGING
The woman, bearing down on her birth canal Is far from singing – she is crying. Crying out in pain and looking for the release That only birth (or death) can give her. And the birth-born is not singing – she is crying. Crying out for the loss of her mother’s warm, wet womb. Life needs more singing. The hop-scotching girl of seven has learned to sing Before her songs are drowned out by cries from scraped knees. And the unearthly love of an adolescent girl Causes her to sing one day and then sob the next day. The college girl sits in the park with her roommate They sing in the fading light and in their faded denims. Swearing in blood they will always sing together. Not realizing that they will go their separate ways And there will be no more “togethers” for singing. The young woman goes to a bar and hears the drunken songs And wonders why she doesn’t hear singing on Main Street. The only singing she hears there is the singing of geese flying And their Song of the South pilgrimage as they escape the cold. She hears the singing at her wedding, and the crying of her mother But does not find herself singing in her house – she only listens to the radio. She sings in harmony while in church on Sunday mornings, But forgets how to sing melodies during the week. She visits her mother in the nursing home and hears the moans and groans But doesn’t hear the singing of those who have the most to sing about. And at her mother’s grave site, she wonders if people there died Because their hearts stopped beating or because their hearts stopped singing. Life needs more singing. Curiousdwk
Comments (28)
Very beautifully said, David.
yes, life needs more singing.
excellent work
@godfatherofgreenbay - Thanks godfather.
@promisesunshine - Can I ask to sing a duet with you?
@songoftheheart - I’m glad you enjoyed this. With your moniker, you should. (smile)
@curiousdwk - i like to sing duets. much better than solos.
@promisesunshine - Would you believe that I used to host a community sing-along in my home for those people who do not like to sing solos but do like to sing?
that sounds like a great time!! i would love that. depending on the playlist.
actually, probably doesn’t depend on the playlist at all.
@promisesunshine - One third of each session was folk songs using the Rise Up Singing songbooks (I bought 15 copies). Then one third of each session was singing Broadway songs (with the words provided). And then one third of each session was singing Pops of the Past – top 40′s fromt he 60′s and 70′s – again with words provided. It was a blast.
why did you stop doing this?
@promisesunshine - For the first year and a half I averaged 8 to 12 people each month. An ideal number for a community sing-along. But then more and more people moved on until I was averaging only 1 to 3 people. Then I stopped.
I sing in my house… but only if no one is around. Most babies don’t cry when they are born… I’ve had to thump so feet in my lifetime to get them to cry. Death can be such an awkward topic… especially when you watch it everyday.
Very good message. Life needs more songs, and voices to be lifted up in singing.
@ZSA_MD - Thank you Zsa. I’m not sure how representative this is of reality, but I view the culture in India as including singing and dancing. Maybe that’s from watching too much
Ballywood. I also know that Hindus include a lot of singing and dancing. But for some reason, I don’t envision much singing and dancing with the Muslim faith. Is this just because of my narrow exposure? I’m just curious – I’m not trying to be judgmental. How much singing and dancing was there in your childhood?
I will also say, I referenced it slightly here, but it was very oblique reference, here in the States, I’m afraid a lot of us listen to music, but we don’t participate in music and dancing. And I think that’s a shame for us.
@hesacontradiction - I wish I could sit down with you and tell you a story about how I was able to help my mother through her dying process. I feel so blessed that I had such a positive experience with her death because I know so many people have had the opposite experience. When you say that death is such an awkward topic – especially when you watch it every day, I assume you also mean when you experience it every day and you’re trying to deal with it with people who only get to deal with it a couple of times during their entire life.
@curiousdwk - You would be correct in that statement. I’ve been on both sides of the line. I’ve pronounced people dead legally and I’ve had people freak out on me begging me to bring them back even though they were 97 and it was their time to go. I’ve also had good deaths where I held their hand until they passed. In OB, I saved all the babies and never had any die, but had to help deliever one that was 5 days post mortem. (You could imagine how that looked decomposing at 98.6 temp and wet environment. It was one experience that I was hoping I wouldn’t have to be on, but 3 days later it was my shift.) I felt guilty about pulling my father in laws tube, even though my husband agreed with me and it was his wish, but my mother is slowly dying and I’m trying to make her go to the doctor and she doesn’t want to. I really wish she would get on an antidepressant for pain and to lighten her mood so maybe she would leave her house. 63 is way to young to put her in the nursing home when she could last another 20 years. Then I go to work and deal with needy families all week. I think I just realized that I need a vacation, of course I’m in alot of pain today…. so that explains my grouchy mood. My apologies. =)
@hesacontradiction - I did not consider that an expression of a grouchy mood at all. It was a reflective thought – morso than an immediate reaction. But a reflective thought is different than a grouchy mood.
And yes, you’ve seen all the types of death – all the variations of life and the 50 shades of gray from one to the other. And you’ve seen all the variations of rections from the families and friends. And although some might say that this would give you an advantage in coming to terms with these issues, if death were a simple matter, perhaps it would. But death, and life are complex issues. And no matter how many layers we peel off the onion, there are layers and layers still there waiting for us to cry over.
And I’m sorry you’re in pain again. I really wish they could do something for you so you weren’t so constantly in pain.
There is a lot of singing and dancing in the Hindu culture, and is obvious from the various books and tapes of the temple music. In Islam there is no such thing. We don’t sing during prayers and definitely do not sing. However, families of Muslims have their own kind of music and many are great singers. Not so much dancing. Dancing elicits glances towards the body and its curvature… not allowed in Islam.
@ZSA_MD - Thanks Zsa. I sort of figured that was the way it was, but I wanted to hear it from someone who knew more about it than I do.
@curiousdwk - That is a good philosophy to reflect on. Onions, the layers can make you cry! Thanks for being concerned for me and my pain. I got relief for a couple of months and it bought me some time to breathe. The pain pills help and some of my greatest ideas come from times when I’m really happy and not in pain… I’m putting this to good use. =D
Nice piece…. sounds heavenly.
Singing is one of the bestest remedy.
@RestlessButterfly - The interesting thing, is that this poem is rather melancholy and is bemoaning the lack of singing. But everyone reading it thinks that it is a poem celebrating singing. (smile)
Hell with ‘em. If I feel like singing, I sing. If I don’t feel like singing, I let myself be miserable for a short time, and then I sing the blues away. Works every time.
Good poem, though.
@twoberry - Thanks. Everyone should sing, even if they’re not professional singers. Everyone should write poetry – even if they’re not poets. Everyone should create art – even if they’re not artists. Everyone should develop in science – even if they’re not scientists. The joy and the benefit is not in the level of the performance, nor in the accolades, but simply in the engagement.
Hello Friend. Emailed you a while back. Hope you’re doing well. I miss our chats…and your input. I hope you’re having a wonderful summer!!!
and this is just…brilliant. We do need more song, more singing… at each stage of our life..
I remember events best by music. When I commit a piece of memory to a certain song, the next time I sing or hear it, it transports me back into that memory, feeling and sensing everything about it as though I were literally there.
this is a really meaningful post – I want to see more.