EVERYTHING THING COMES AND GOES

"Everything comes and goes
Pleasure moves on too early
And trouble leaves too slow"

Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark was hidden amongst some unappreciated cds in the living room. As I was sorting, shifting, and de-accessing some of this collection, I put it on the top of the pile and grabbed it while heading out to Palm Springs for Christmas. It was in the car CD player for about three days. And this song, Down to You, has resonated for days and days beyond.

Everything comes and goes
Marked by lovers and styles of clothes
Things that you held high
And told yourself were true
Lost or changing as the days come down to you
Down to you
Constant stranger
You're a kind person
You're a cold person too
It's down to you

You go down to the pick up station
Craving warmth and beauty
You settle for less than fascination
A few drinks later you're not so choosy
When the closing lights strip off the shadows
On this strange new flesh you've found
Clutching the night to you like a fig leaf
You hurry
To the blackness
And the blankets
To lay down an impression
And your loneliness

In the morning there are lovers in the street
They look so high
You brush against a stranger
And you both apologize
Old friends seem indifferent
You must have brought that on
Old bonds have broken down
Love is gone
Ooh, love is gone
Written on your spirit this sad song
Love is gone

Everything comes and goes
Pleasure moves on too early
And trouble leaves too slow
Just when you're thinking
You've finally got it made
Bad news comes knocking
At your garden gate
Knocking for you
Constant stranger
You're a brute, you're an angel
You can crawl, you can fly too
It's down to you
It all comes down to you

Certainly seems like a good New Year song to me. I have listened to it five times since I posted it. Now, I have moved on to Amelia. Sigh. Not sure where this is all going, so I will leave you to listen to these two songs and these beautiful lyrics and check back with you later.

I was driving across the burning desert
When I spotted six jet planes
Leaving six white vapor trails across the bleak terrain
It was the hexagram of the heavens
It was the strings of my guitar
Amelia, it was just a false alarm

The drone of flying engines
Is a song so wild and blue
It scrambles time and seasons if it gets thru to you
Then your life becomes a travelogue
Of picture post card charms
Amelia it was just a false alarm

People will tell you where they've gone
They'll tell you where to go
But till you get there yourself you never really know
Where some have found their paradise
Others just come to harm
Oh, Amelia it was just a false alarm

I wish that he was here tonight
It's so hard to obey
His sad request of me to kindly stay away
So this is how I hide the hurt
As the road leads cursed and charmed
I tell Amelia it was just a false alarm

A ghost of aviation
She was swallowed by the sky
Or by the sea like me she had a dream to fly
Like Icarus ascending
On beautiful foolish arms
Amelia it was just a false alarm

Maybe I've never really loved
I guess that is the truth
I've spent my whole life in clouds at icy altitudes
And looking down on everything
I crashed into his arms
Amelia it was just a false alarm

I pulled into the Cactus Tree Motel
To shower off the dust
And I slept on the strange pillows of my wanderlust
I dreamed of 747s
Over geometric farms
Dreams, Amelia, dreams and false alarms.


... dreams and false alarms, ahoy!

Many many days later.

The New Year has started and I am scarcely organized. I had a hard week with La Mama, but things have smoothed out. Today I managed to stay out of the nap mode, although I almost succumbed. I wasn't very focussed, but I did make progress in a hither and thither manner. I even started cleaning up the garden and patio, both of which are big tasks.

But now, I need some sleep.