As Mary Walks By

[Fire Monkey]

I wrote this poem with the intent of it being a song, now, you must understand that I don't sing for anyone except for cats [and Deb gets to hear me sing - not sure that is a good thing but it shows I'm comfortable around her] so the lyrics are spoken rather than sung. The music is percussion based rather than melody based since I have been working of late on understanding how to improve my use of percussion in things I compose so over all it may be a bit unusual - I have been working with it for several days so it's in my head too much for me to judge that but I am including a link to the song as well as the lyrics here:

They Walk through the room
while they sit in the corner
and there they all talk
though they don't know quite why
each conversation will scatter in pieces
the moment that Mary walks by

Everyone knows but nobody finds her
the way that they think her to be
time moves around her
but somehow it leaves her untouched

She is never quite the way they imagine
She is always something different than that
She is not the party girl they are claiming.
No....

With gentle kisses she eases their suffering
and her warm smiles will turn all of their pain numb
She asks for nothing then fades from their memory;
she's gone just as soon as she's come

Some call her demon, some call her lady
some just thank her for healing them
she harms nobody
so why must some hate her for that

Mary offers freedom from suffering
She asks for nothing and she will never judge
She gives her gifts and then she leaves quietly.
Goodbye

Goodbye

[Brigid Briton]

Hi Tim,

This almost seems as if it were written about Mary Magdalene, who has definitely been given a bad rap.

This struck me with particular irony since my dear friend (and sister-in-law), Mary, died on March 31, from injuries she suffered in an accident. Although no one ever thought of her as demon or party-girl, so many of your words applied to her. She gave of her many gifts freely, touched all who knew her deeply, her presence is still very much felt, and those of us left behind are still struggling to say good-by.

(Because of my connection to Mary, I'd prefer a serene and peaceful accompaniment, but I appreciate the fact that you're working with percussion and you are, of course, talking about a different Mary altogether.)

I love that you are working so hard to keep expanding your creative options. Keep up the great work!

Brigid

[Fire Monkey]

That is an interesting coincidence Brigid. As it happens, there is an intentional mystery about the subject so I said enough to express the thoughts but no more so that it leaves the identity open to speculation.

You are sure right that Mary Magdalene would fit. In fact, she would be a good candidate since there is never a bad word said about her in the Bible, just the fact that there happens to be an unnamed woman who Jesus saved from being stoned and Mary Magdalene who very little is said about and suddenly people jump to the conclusion that the two must be the same person - it goes to show how people are always so quick to pass judgement and think bad of someone, especially someone who seems to be doing good.

Sometimes people just don't trust anything that seems too good because we tend to expect everyone and everything to have a 'dark underbelly' and when there isn't one we become suspicious, which in a way is a part of what is behind this poem.

Anyway, thanks for your comments.

[kara]

YES! that was so fun. i like all of you already i have trouble critiquing the poem because i listened to the song right away. do you make "songs" often? makes me think of jim morrison, though i'm sure it's a tradition that precedes him and has been used quite a lot since. IN THE THE SONG, it sounded off when you said "so why must some hate her for that?". the "for that" seemed tacked on. 

funny thing to mention. since you mentioned the cats. i at first imagined the "they" as cats. lol. obviously they couldn't stay cats as the song progressed. oh well also i listened to "pieces" and cracked up. sounds like me despite my youth; i am very scatter brained. 

[Fire Monkey]

Isn't there a little 'cat' in everything, Kara? Well, at least cat lovers think so

This is the first time I have done a piece quite like this, though I have done others with music and had videos that had the lyrics on them I would have sung the poem if my singing was on key but I need a little work for that also I have horrible stage fright whenever I turn on a microphone - it took about 3 recordings of these lines to get enough for me to get one where I didn't stumble over them all tongue tied - the magic of an audio editor

I think you may be right that dropping the "for that" would have been good and if I do more work on this I shall give it serious thought. I may end up doing an animation to go with it which would require some more work and since I still have the voice and music on separate tracks I can still edit it.

I do actually write a lot of my poetry to music in my head, though often the music never gets out of my head because it isn't always easy to get it to sound the same as it does inside my head. I come from a very musical family - actually, my youngest brother and I are the least musical of the family, but I grew up around music all the time so it sort of soaked into my bones.

I'm also glad that you liked Pieces - been a while since I thought about that one ... it really does discribe me at times

Thanks for your comments.