Saturday, October 18, 2008

Poem for Saturday

Storms Were Mine
By Doris Muramatsu and Nate Borofsky


I've been squinting at the sun
A ball of fire always on the run
But it's still burning when the clouds
Blanket, blanket

Spending time all on my own
And when I see you I still feel alone
And when I look back all I feel is
Anger, anger

I am lost, you left me at sea
Tossed and turned 'round all of the time
Still the storms that battered me
Were mine

It's a wonder that I grow
A yellowed plant, I've still got something to show
Leaves that beckon toward the sky
Praying, praying

And now all I feel is rage
It follows me when I get up on the stage
I even carry it when I'm
Sleeping, sleeping

I am lost, you left me at sea
Tossed and turned 'round all of the time
Still the storms that battered me
Were mine

I can't believe it could be
All mine, all mine

--------

The kids had no school due to a statewide teachers' meeting, so Paul came home at lunchtime and we took them to go hike and see the leaves changing on Sugarloaf Mountain. It was gorgeous, mid-60s and dry, with clear skies and great views in all directions. We picnicked on sandwiches, walked around the walled fortification, and climbed to one of the overlooks. It was very clear and there were hawks over the trees -- at that elevation nearly everything is gold rather than red, but we could see all the maples down in the valley.

Then we went home, turned the kids over to my mother, collected my friend Jo and went to see Girlyman at the Birchmere. The food there has always been good, in my experience -- I had a bbq chicken sandwich and we shared a chocolate sundae. Chelsea Lee opened for them, who has a terrific voice though she is very young -- in high school -- and pretty much all her songs are about youthful heartache, though she also did a cover of The Alan Parsons Project's "Eye in the Sky" which her guitarist said must have been released when she was negative eleven.

Girlyman was fantastic, as always -- they opened with "On the Air" and did pretty much all my favorites, though I love pretty much every song they do so that's not difficult; "St. Peter's Bones," "Kittery Tide," "Through To Sunrise," "Somewhere Different Now," and "Young James Dean" are other favorites, and they did all of those, plus a wonderful new song by Ty that I think is called "Easy Bake Ovens" and two hilarious tuning songs. Someone yelled out "Free Bird" as a request, so Nate did the screechiest, most horrible version ever and of course everyone applauded!


Doris on mandolin, Ty on acoustic guitar, Nate on electric guitar.


Here Doris is on guitar and Ty is on percussion.


Here is Girlyman after the show waiting to sign autographs.


And here is Girlyman with me and Jo!


This is Chelsea Lee on stage with her guitarist and frequent co-writer, Todd Wright.


And here she is with me!


This is the outside of the Birchmere...


...and inside the ladies' room!


More tomorrow...I am very sleepy!

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