Joy (repost)

the good days
Freude,
are those days that
schoener Goetterfunken
in spite of the noise
Tochter aus Elysium,
the naggings
wir betreten
the sagging weight
feuertrunken,
of worry, responsibility
Himmlische,
the ignorance
dein Heiligtum.
and uncarefulness
deine Zauber
of others
binden wieder
the sometimes blatant
was der Mode
disregard, disrepair
Schwert geteilt
of how the world around
Bettler werden
chooses to conduct itself
Fuerstenbrueder

the good days
wo dein sanfter
are those days
Fluegel weilt
I can’t hear any of you
Freude!
for the Beethoven
Freude!
blasting joyously unrestrained
Freude!
in my head

© Sarah Whiteley
originally posted 2/17/2009
Thanks to a dear friend for reminding me just how much I love to blast the Beethoven!

Whole-Hearted

A new little piece written for a friend’s birthday. He’s one of those rare people who lives whole-heartedly and finds something to appreciate in every moment. I hope you enjoy!

some days just

here’s that fracture point again
when you just know you have to
change things around, create
a frisson of upheaval

some days just settle down into the low-down,
nose-to-cheek with d minor riffs
and lost grips on others’
barrelhouse hearts

and yet there are other days –
days that survive the coup to rise up,
overstep, outstrip the rabble
and the rubble

but life’s a bottleneck slide,
a continuous call and response –
and some days just slip back down again
into the brash and scree

it just isn’t the blues without truth,
but the good news is here’s another chance
at transformation, another shot
at outpacing it all anew,

here’s another day to rise, another day
to pluck those truth-taut strings,
and sing ourselves
a revolution

2.20.2015

that absence hangs around,
a lone note held –
b-flat drifting long after
the tables have emptied

a blind man would have known
to find a way away from you
but fire makes us stupid

and before this space was vacant
it. was. on. fire.

things are so much clearer
when seen in d minor –
it’s a particular diminished
shade of the blues

but the show’s over even if
the smoke still lingers
and there’s no flyer even
to remember it by

but darlin’, there’s no
forgetting that heat

2.6.2015

tonight, it’s the Blues

that slow-doleful prayer for understanding –

a measure of salt for the cheeks on a night spent by the window

with a glass of something that burns (on the rocks, of course)

and that solitary pine for companion

tonight, it’s the Blues, yes

but tomorrow, I’ll be Jazz

January Goes

My piano has always been a means of communicating and processing my emotions. Playing has carried me through some very tough times. When words fail me, sometimes this is the only voice I feel I have. And I’m extremely grateful I have this outlet. Hope you enjoy the newest composition!

Bach for Birds (A Mildly Irreverent Arrangement)

I’m probably going to end up being haunted by the glowering ghost of Bach for this one, but then – how cool would that be? Ha!

A Word of Cheer

“A little smile, a word of cheer,
A bit of love from someone near,
A little gift from one held dear,
Best wishes for the coming year.

These make a merry christmas!”

–John Greenleaf Whittier

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Blessed Season of Light to all my followers, readers, fellow writers and artists and keepers of joy.

I’ve updated my music track list (to the right) to include some arrangements of Christmas pieces I’ve done over the years. I hope you’ll enjoy…

and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

After August

Sometimes it’s nice to shift the creative focus a bit and work on something else. It’s been a long while since I sat down to compose any new piano pieces, but that’s just what I’ve been doing for the past week.

I have to say it feels good to write music again! I’m definitely not a pro at this thing – just like in poetry, I write what moves me using the tools and sometimes dubious talents I’ve been given. (How’s that for self-deprecating?)

But I’m happy to share it with you (even if it’s not exactly poetry). Here’s After August – I hope you enjoy!

*

I have stumbled
upon the occasion
of your lips
and wander wondrously
betwixt – bewitched

© Sarah Whiteley

Just a quick note to say I’m still writing. But I’ve also been keeping myself busy with composing a new piece of music – I know! the first in quite some time! So if posts are tapering off, that’s why.

Also, I am quickly heading into the fall busy season at work (like being sucked into a black hole) but I am determined to keep up some form of creative pursuit in spite of the brutal days. Normally I would say “see you on the other side” in another couple of weeks, but I think I’ll just let what happens happen – and if I can squeeze out a few pieces of poetry in the melee, then so be it.

And stay tuned later this month for a little giveaway! Who doesn’t like free stuff?!