New Life...

My cousin, to whom I'm very close, brought her second baby into the world yesterday. With that occasion in mind I started this poem, of which I've only just begun.

As the sun rises on the chilly morn,
And the cars all line the streets.
The passengers with their coffee cups,
Bump to the urban beat.

The men in orange work the roads,
And Toil in the dirt.
As a lady passes through a crosswalk,
In a short black hounds tooth skirt.

We putter here and sometimes there,
The truth far from our sight.
A crying baby brings me pause,
And the cars fade in to night.

Professors utter empty words,
Unbecoming of a princess.
The street preachers mumble in the street,
Making far too much of less.

The sun sits high upon its breast,
The rocks warm to the front.
I sit in the shadow,
And the crickets whimper for want.

We putter here and sometimes there,
The truth far from our sight.
A crying baby brings me pause,
And the crickets fade from sight.

Born Under a Bad Sign...

...Been down since I begin to crawl.

I picked up the "Born Under a Bad Sign" record by Albert King today. It came out 1967, and basically revived the dying blues brand, leading to a resurgence in old-fashioned blues aesthetics. King was a huge influence on Stevie Ray Vaughan, and it shows. I can hear licks all over the album that most people would probably associate first and foremost with Stevie, but King was able to convey the same emotion with less notes. He probably lacked the virtuosity of a player like Vaughan, but was able to create more personable grooves that mastered depth and space. That's what's so great about the blues. On the outside, it would be easy to dismiss the style as one dimensional and limited, among the ranks of the great players, every possible emotion is covered within the same scales of eight beautiful notes.

A Gift From On High...

Well, my 7th intersection with one Bob Dylan was very successful. The venue was beautiful, the band sounded great, and I even scored some Dylan's 1984 "Real Live" on vinyl, which fills a void in my record collection. The trip couldn't possibly have been better. We stayed in a Holiday Inn in Cincinnati which functioned as the perfect place to take in political coverage. The airwaves were ripe with coverage from my home state with Obama and Biden in town and all. Of course the highlight of the trip was the 5 or 6 minutes in which Dylan played my absolute favorite, "I Believe In You". It was really something to see him play something from the Gospel period which I was cheated out of due to my late arrival to this world. Anyways, Bob treated me to a little taste of that last night, for which I am grateful.

Off To See The Dylan...

Tomorrow I'll being Bob Dylan for the first time in nearly a year. I've seen him live about 5 or 6 times, and relish the opportunity. I became absolutely obsessed with Dylan right out of high school and was able to catch his set in the magisterial Fox Theater in St. Louis in 2006. I kind of figured with Dylan's age and my pocketbook that would be my only chance to see him, but I got bit by the Bob bug and couldn't help but keep coming back. Not only is Bob and absolute legend, and probably in the top 3 or so songwriters of modern music, but he has always been really exciting to see live. He generally has come out with a different setlist every night which makes multiple viewings equally exciting. Although the the sets have grown a tad more stagnant since I first saw him in 06', he still breaks out the occasional head turner. I've yet to see a true rarity in concert, so I'm pulling for something special tomorrow night. Recently he's played "I Believe In You" from his gospel era a few times, and I'd be absolutely ecstatic to hear that. His Gospel music probably is his most important stuff to me, which can't be said for most folks. I'd definetly love to hear that one.

Don't let me change my heart,
Keep me set apart
From all the plans they do pursue.
And I, I don't mind the pain
Don't mind the driving rain
I know I will sustain
'Cause I believe in you.

A Song...

Verse:
I don’t need a God of Wonders.
I ain’t got a sea to part.
All I needed was redemption.
But you knew that from the start.

In my own ambition,
All I found was poverty.
When you knew that all I needed.
Was a shot of honesty.

Chorus:
So come, and rescue me.
From Gallows and from Calvary.
I can’t promise I’ll go joyfully.
But Come, and rescue me.

Verse
I’ve looked among the scriptures.
And among the hallowed stacks.
“That’s all well and good Kid”,
You said, “but My love is all you lack.”

“Those books will get you just so far,
Then you’ll have to swim.
Through the plague of doubt
And the wages of sin!”

Chorus

Verse
I’d been battered on the rocks,
With the foam all in my mouth.
The current had me by throat.
To the east and west and south.

I knew that I was drowning,
And there was no good way out.
I was rollin’ towards the falls.
And All that I could shout! Was…