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​Songformation
sing / write / create 

Cleaning out the wound- a poetic reflection

4/10/2020

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Yesterday I spent the day working on learning Joni Mitchell's "Cactus Tree" by ear, working on transcribing the lyrics line by line (an exercise I find really helps with learning the melody and phrasing- feel free to reach out if you want to chat about this!), and also dissecting the harmonic rhythms of the guitar.  I made up my own method of notating these patterns with a combination of counting beats and solfege notation about what guitar tones were prominent behind the melody.  Just a reminder that music doesn't really exist on the page, and you don't need to understand musical notation to learn- or write!- melodies and songs.  

As I became absorbed in the lyrical rhythms of Joni's poetry, I got inspired to do some of my own writing in her free flowing style.  I wrote a couple of pages in poetic phrase and did a few edits to create the poem below.  Thanks for allowing me to share it with you, and as always feel free to share back.  

I hope you are all finding ways to dive more deeply into your creativity during this time, and enjoying the beauty of Spring.

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Dull ache in the back of my shoulders-
connected to a dreaming heart

Choose solitude, these days
Loose promises, fair plays

Bright yellow flowers bloom
like stars beyond the ether
or the kind things that we said
in the blacker void of fear

Chase those silver linings
looking for the sun
Sweet singing of the blues

I wonder at the dream-
The way I resorted to anger, and mean-

Ultimately, clean the wound
write it on the lines
between your house
and mine

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    Alison Harris

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