I went to a voice workshop today that turned out to be just as much about songwriting as singing; in fact, we each wrote two songs as part of the day. Here are mine.

The assignment for the first was this: write what is unsaid. In other words, whatever we are afraid to say.

The Hunger

Held-back hunger, return to womb
Swimming through darkness, turned to tomb
Like a fish in the river, like a wave on the sea
This weighty feeling, this gravity
The sea overhead is pressing me down
In its deep sweet darkness I drown

Opening bottom, aching for light
Hoping in boredom, itching for fight
Who is the hero, who the enemy?
Like a lurker in the shadows I wait and see

Hold me in your arms and never let me go
Or I’ll slip between your cracks like sifting snow
Like the rhythm of the night, the great starry void
In the chanting, secret caverns lies the truth I avoid

What are the questions for the answers I desire?
I chop through the brush but the woods grow higher
Til the world has shrunken to the size of a pea
I swallow it like medicine to help me see

Lurking in the shadows, wait and see
Take me to the bottom, lift me to the light
Save me from boredom, don’t make me fight
Who’ll be my hero, where’s my enemy?

The assignment for the next song was: write a song for yourself, then sing it.

Obvious

Don’t you worry about your life
Your next step will be obvious
Listen to your own truth, the song in your heart
Will teach you what you most need to know
Let go of that load on your mind
Close your eyes, it’s time to travel blind
You’ve senses beyond your sight
Listen to the guidance of the light
And walk into the darkness of the night

The stars overhead all know who you are
You’re their sister, their friend and their lover
Like then you are a part of a galaxy of stars
You have access to more help than you know
When you let down your barriers
And let your lovelight show

This is a window into life
Open it now, the choice is obvious
When you wake up your body,
You’ll stretch out your wings
And fly where you need to go
You’ve senses beyond your sight
Listen to the guidance of the light
And walk into the darkness of the night

The earth underfoot knows you like a child
She is a resource, your source and your mother
She cradles you in comfort, she lets your feet run wild
You have access to more help than you know
When you let down your barriers
And let your lovelight show

This is a window into life
Open it now, the choice is obvious
When you wake up your body,
You’ll stretch out your wings
And fly where you need to go

When you wake up your body,
You’ll stretch out your wings
And fly where you need to go
This is a window into life
Open it now, the choice is obvious

When it came time to sing the songs, I was impressed by Edwin’s virtuosity on the piano. He could play along with any of our faltering rhythms and fledgling melodies, support the song and make it sound rehearsed. It was an amazing experience to have a brand-new song accompanied right out of the gate…I tend to write the melodies first then sweat out an arrangement on the guitar much later. Lovely!

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 10th, 2007 at 1:06 am and is filed under poems and lyrics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.