Life in General

Poetry Thursday-Prose Poems

Being totally unfamiliar with prose poetry, I turned to the one I consider "the master" of all things poetry. I wasn't disappointed...

Thirst
Another morning and I wake with thirst
for the goodness I do not have. I walk
out to the pond and all the way God has
given us such beautiful lessons. Oh Lord,
I was never a quick scholar but sulked
and hunched over my books past the
hour and the bell; grant me, in your
mercy, a little more time. Love for the
earth and love for you are having such a
long conversation in my heart. Who
knows what will finally happen or
where I will be sent, yet already I have
given a great many things away, expect-
ing to be told to pack nothing, except the
prayers which, with this thirst, I am
slowly learning.
~Mary Oliver~

Festival Day

The second Saturday in February is legion here in Michigan - at least for high school singers and their teachers. It's Festival day, the day singers all over the state gather for adjudication in solos, duets, quartets, or small ensembles. Today was my 15th year accompanying high school students at District Festival. It's a day that's at once exhilirating and exhausting, inspiring and innervating, surprising and predicatable. It's a day I've come to dread, but also anticipate, a day I wish would never come, but then one I hate to see come to an end. At 6:30 this morning, the dark road leading to Eastern Michigan University was practically deserted, the few cars headed in that direction most likely carrying teenagers caterwauling in all sorts of vocal gymnastics in an attempt to work the morning frogginess out of their vocal cords. They descend upon the Alexander Music building like a busy group of locusts, all nervous energy and wide eyed enthusiasm.

My schedule today was lighter than most years - I accompanied 10 events, which included three ensembles and seven solo singers. My soloists ranged from a confident young man who has already won scholarships to the two most competitive music schools in the state to one who was so petrified with fear, his hands shook convulsively when giving his music to the judge.

My role on this day becomes so much more than just the provider of "background music." For a period of 24 minutes - 12 for warm up and 12 for performance - I'm like that kid's backup in a war zone. Especially for those that are insecure and unsure of themselves, one wrong note from me and they can completely lose their fragile hold on the music. I make sure the judge's copy of their music is all together, measures numbered, that they get to their room on time, that they do the proper warm up exercises, that I have plenty of water, kleenex, aspirin on hand, and generally provide moral support for whatever happens when they go in that room to sing. That's the exhausting part.

The exhilirating, exciting, inspring part is when a group of kids finally get it all together for the first time on stage, and what comes out of their mouths is so "luscious" (the judge's word, not mine) that you feel as if some musical fairy has sprinkled magical dust all over you. And no less emotional is the feeling you have for that petrified kid, who's barely able to open his mouth to talk to you, but somehow gets through two entire songs (one in Italian!) with notes and rhythms intact.

During the past few weeks, I've been trying to figure out how to simplify a life that's way too busy, overcrowded, demanding, and just plain out of control. I decided that this would be my last year doing this "part time" job at the high school. It's demanding, it's time consuming, and the pay is virtually nothing. Simple decision, right?

Not really. Not after a day like today, a day that reminds me of all the rewards I get from being around young people who are so passionate about their art, and who are willing to take risks in the pursuit of that passion.

On the way home, I was listening to this CD. Just six years ago, the artist was one of the students I accompanied at Festival. He now lives in New York city, has traveled the world as an entertainer, is writing and recording music for a new Disney TV series, and is up for the lead in the new touring company cast of Movin' Out, the musical based on the life and music of Billy Joel. Talk about magical fairy dust...

As much as I crave more time and space in my life, I am loathe to give up the experiences I have with these young musicians. I guess it's back to the drawing board in my quest to simplfy life...maybe I need a little fairy dust of my own.

Monday, Monday

"Can't trust that day"...remember that song? What is it about Monday that invites disaster?I have been totally wrong-footed about everything today, and feeling as if some "fresh hell" (as Dorothy Parker so acerbically quipped) was waiting around every corner.

Perhaps it's this unrelenting cold that has an icy death grip on my city (and most of the mid-west) for that matter. Or perhaps it was realizing that somewhere between my trip home from Florida last week and this morning when I was waiting in line to cash some checks at the bank, I lost my driver's license. Or could it have been the bill for our Florida homeowners insurance which came today, with a price tag more than double last years? (Do you think McDonald's is hiring? I may need another part time job.)

Ah me. So enough with the sob story already. I just made myself a steaming cup of mint green tea, and I plan to hide in my favorite big chair with a microwave heating pad and lose myself in a good book. I've gotta hope tomorrow is a better day, even if it isn't a warmer one.

Sunday Scribblings-Goodbyes

Since this is the 200th post here at The Byline, I thought it would be fitting to look back on some of the goodbye's I've said since I started my blogging adventure.

  • With my friend Pat's retirement, I said goodbye to our 14 year old working partnership. She keeps promising (threatening??) ideas for several new projects which will "require my assistance," so I'll probably be saying hello to a new collaboration before I know it~
  • And since my job sharing partner at the office decided to take an "indefinite leave of absence," I said goodbye not only to her, but to most of my free time as well, since I haven't been able to replace her~
  • I said a particularly wrenching goodbye to a young man I met during my years working with Pat, a young man so brilliant, but yet so troubled, he ended his life exactly one year ago~
  • On a much lighter note (pun intended!) I said goodbye to most of the 10 pounds I'd managed to put on over the past few years, and with them, said a very fond goodbye to several pairs of "fat pants" with elastic waist~
  • And today, when the wind is whipping around my house like a demon, and the temperature is a finger-numbing 6 degrees, I am looking forward to saying goodbye to winter, hopefully sooner rather than later!

For more goodbye stories, go here