Lyrics & Music: Maureen S. O'Brien, 1994
The lyrics rippled from my tongue,
The rhythm from my blood.
It came to me as I walked home
Through the darkness and the mud;
And I sang it in the sleeting cold
And the music kept me warm --
But I lost it when I got home
To the bustle of the dorm.
The majesty, the mystery, the meaning & the mood --
I lost it all when the song slipped away,
Leaving only bits of lyrics
And a couple scraps of tune,
Or I would have sung that song to you today.
REF:
Dragonfly songs
They come, then they're gone
Flashing bright wings as they flutter away
Given only for a moment, but they make that moment shine
Until
They are taken away.
The sculptor loses all that's wrought
In a chance dropping of clay.
The fisher's favorite fish is always
One that got away.
And the best things that I've written,
The things that held my heart,
Were those I made, and lost again -
Momentary works of art.
Is it brevity that makes me think those songs were so good,
Or is it some illusion in my memory?
And dare I hope that someday
Ev'ry song I've made and lost
Will finally be given back to me?
REF:
The term 'dragonfly song' is from Ursula K. LeGuin's
Always Coming Home. She used it to refer to improvisational singing.
So, what do you think? Mail me at mobrien@dnaco.net
You are permitted to copy this for personal, non-commercial purposes.
If you want to do anything else, mail me and we'll deal.