Outside the Pigeon Holes

We have been studying sonnets which for those who have forgotten high school lit class are 14-line poems with ten syllables in each line. They're fun to write in the sense that it is like working a puzzle. You have a designated rhyme scheme that has to be met depending on the type of sonnet that it is (Shakespearean, Italian, Spenserian, etc)...So you have to make what you want to say work within that scheme. As a writer of free-form I find it frustrating on the one hand to have what I want to communicate come together in a beautiful phrase only to learn that it doesn't fit. On the other hand it's fun because it makes you think and challenges your creativity - to still say what you want to say within the meter without losing the flow and cadence that you have in your head. I do prefer free form but here are my two sonnets so far. Remember I am new at this... :) The first one was inspired by a recent news headline. The second is pretty self explanatory. Police found t...

Jesus says to come to Him like children...The basic sentiment of this song speaks to that innocent quality and genuine faith that I so often see in the kids I work with and that sometimes rises up in me only to get quickly dashed by 'reality'... Don't Let the World Step on Your Soul (Todd Schroeder, Ron Miller) My God, how new you are Still untouched by time You're breathing every dream Hang on to who you are Create your own design 'Cause dreamers must run to extremes Hey, little one, I can tell your an easy believer And you cry at the sunset While the rest of the tribe calls you fool Your mind will eat humble pie While your hungry heart chokes on the rules But, baby, don't let the world step on your soul. Hey, little one, I can tell you're a new generation in the scheme of creation 'Cause you care about people and pain While all the wheelers and dealers And the prime-timers call you insane But, baby don't let the world step...

Adventure called and I answered. Stepped from my fears and boxes, Spread my wings - believing again I was Free to fly. But the wind tore at my face. A cold, bitter rain made flight heavy. Lies carefully crafted around truth embedded themselves in my skin And drained their poison into my soul, Blinding me from what was real, Deafening the voice of love That whispered gently, kindly and wisely. Panic stricken I landed, Limping defeated into the Safe, dull security of the known. I turn again to watch braver eagles Swoop and soar above me Taking chances with the rain and wind. Weaving in and out with skillful artistry As if relying on an invisible safety. Faithful it will never let them down. Faithful. Trusting. Fearless. It is a freedom I deny As I chain myself to a prison of safety, Certain I was not meant for flight. Convinced that the longing for adventure Is only a dangerous darkness, Tempting me into too much that is unknown. Too much I cannot control...

Someone asked me today if I thought I was one of the 'good singers' at karaoke and if I would sing to him if he called me (uh...NO)...I figured I'd let him decide if I was a good singer or not since that's a matter of opinion. So I created the following video just for kicks using a track I recorded a few years ago at my friend's studio. I originally planned to use random photos from my collection just to have something to look at while the song played. But of course, I got carried away and invested a few hours into improvising something that had meaning. This is the result. Thanks, Chuck for being the catalyst! LOL!

Contemporary Christian artist David Phelps has just released his latest CD, "The Voice". Last night I settled into my pillow with my Sansa MP3 Player to take a listen. From the first note of his peerless cover of Foreigner's "I want to know what love is" to the last note of "Your love", I was carried away into another world full of lush melodies, angelic imagry and even a spiritual battleground in "The end of the line", a song befitting of a Webber-esque rock opera. This recording marks a turning point in David Phelps' artistic journey of faith. He performs with a freedom and maturity that are doubtless a culmination of years honing his talent with the Gaither Vocal Band and his prior solo projects. While all of his work has been - in this girl's opinion - well done and often spine-chilling vocally, this one is different. It's as if his previous work had been mere stepping stones to this place where his unique style, gifts of...

I have to say that I am having a rare TV geek moment. I don't watch much TV since pulling the plug on Satellite. But tonight not only my home town but the legacy of my high school was featured by way of Nick Lachey on "Clash of the Choirs". Nick attended my alma mater - The School for Creative and Performing Arts and graduated a couple of years after me. He of course went on to be a pop star and marry Jessica Simpson. Prior to tonight the most I really had to say was that the real pronunciation of his last name is "Lay-chee" not the sorta silly showbiz version "La-Shay". Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit, I have been put in my place. :) I tuned in to "Clash of the Choirs" out of curiosity because Nick's team was made up of folks from Cincy. He was up against a choir put together by Patti LaBelle, one my Michael Bolton and 3 other choirs who have competed all week to win $$ for a charity of their choosing from their hometown....

There was this movie we used to watch in elementary school every year called "The Red Balloon". It's about a boy who has a connection with a red balloon that is his dear friend. He takes the balloon everywhere. He even tries to take it to school but the teachers put it outside. The balloon waits beside the school's doors for the boy to come out at the end of the day. It's a sweet relationship. Then comes the day when the bully kids try to take the red balloon. It escapes and returns to the boy. So the bullies chase the boy and corner him and the balloon outside of the town. They throw stones at the balloon. The balloon deflates and essentially "dies". The boy is left sitting there with the remains of the balloon, probably wondering who now he would connect with. Suddenly, balloons from everywhere desert their places at festivals and parties and such. They all find the boy and descend upon him. He looks up and finds himself surrounded by all of these ...