"I Had To Tell You"

This is one of my favorite songs and lyrics. I often listen to this song and/or read the lyrics when I want to contemplate and reflect on what is going on around me and how I feel about it. The words just seem to speak to me and open me in this manner. I often find the lyrics malleable to the particular circumstance I may find myself in. They just have a way of inspiring reflection for me. Hopefully if anyone is actually reading this they will enjoy these poetic words as well. The lyrics were written by Roky Erickson as the song "I Had To Tell You". It was performed and recorded in 1967 for the album Easter Everywhere by the 13th Floor Elevators, one of my favorite bands and a simply beautiful song. There is also a link at the end to listen to the song. I guess I just felt like I had to tell you.

Chaos all around me
With its finger clinging,
But I can hear you singing,
In the corners of my brain.

Every doubt has found me.
Every sound of riot.
Everything is quiet.
But the song that keeps me sane.

I can hear your voice
Echoing my voice softly.
I can feel your strength,
Reinforcing mine.

If you fear I'll lose my spirits,
Like a drunkard's wasted wine,
Don't you even think about it,
I'm feeling fine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qdpc50r5Ot4

Two of my favorite quotes

"When the heart weeps for what it has lost, the spirit laughs for what it has found."
~anonymous Sufi aphorism



"He who turns into peace all evil, whether this be great or small, he in truth is a samana, because all his evil is peace."
~from The Dhammapada

Feel It

For me a truly great rock & roll song makes me want to howl, makes my head nod, my hips shake. My mind melts and drips down my spine, or floats away on an ethereal cloud of thundering riffs and hypnotic drums. My heart feels like its going to explode with joy and splatter love and guts all over the walls! Love and guts all over the walls. Love and guts. Ah-ooooo!!

Dishes

Sweet and sticky maple syrup, dried eggs, hardened oatmeal. They cling to the plates trying to prevent the eventual suction into the drain of the unknown. Pipes connecting to more pipes under the city. This is where unwanted foodstuffs mingle and coexist. The remnants of when yesterday's coffee rolled down the side of the red made-in-China mug remind me of that Muddy Waters morning. I felt good. Muddy had my mojo working.

It's time to wash the dishes again. This is my favorite household chore, more accurately, the only one I actually enjoy. My dish washing provides me a refuge from my thoughts, a sort of immersive sensory meditation. This is not one of those tasks that one can do while doing something else. You must be totally dedicated to washing the dishes. My mind and thoughts are nowhere else but on the task at hand. This is a time for washing dishes. Nothing else.

I see the dirty dishes. Scents of citrus waft up from the sink full of warm soapy water. The warm water soothes my hands, the bubbles formed out of the dish soap tickle slightly. I'm reminded of how these remnants of meals past tasted. The gentle sound of plates and silverware clinking as they swim the ocean of bubbles is soothing, calming.

As my hands fish for the dirty dishes and then clean them for future use so too does my immersive meditation cleanse my mind of all thoughts, allowing myself to be completely in the moments as they occur. My mind rests for future use. And for future dish washing. The task is simple and thus allows me to lose myself in it. I am washing the dishes, I am the water, I am the dishes, I am mind, I am clean, I am new and ready for subsequent moments. As I cleanse the dishes, so too do they cleanse me.