Another Visionary

Attitude creates experience, joy and suffering
are created by focusing, freedom is choosing
to experience only those things we find
appealing

We cannot choose which things will appeal
to us, we learn by experience what feels
as natural as breathing, other things
always remain unreal

The powerful impose their ideas on nature
and ethics on others, forcing all to become
dissidents to protect being unique,
freedom is a prerequisite

To discover the dictates of our own nature, we
live on islands, aggressors and victims being
together, dreamers splashing love around,
some creating problems

To enjoy their happy misery, visionaries follow
the creative urge burning in them, breaking
away from all prescription to do something
new, when relinquishing power

We cannot imagine how a visionary came into
being: whenever anybody opens to freedom,
throwing off the manacles of expectation
and local tradition

Another visionary comes into being…

I Sing Along, En Chantant

Walking about dressed in the colours of the French
flag, red and white and blue, watching the dappled
pavement passing beneath my happy feet, feeling
as if I’m in France with nostalgic French music in
my ears, swaying to the beat

The guard at the library laughing as I pass him by
schlepping five heavy tomes around in my bag, my
heart rejoicing ‘quand j’étais petit garçon, j’ai
repassé mes leçons en chantant, et bien c’est
beaucoup moins inquiétant de parler de mauvais

temps en chantant, la première fille de ma vie, dans
la rue j’ai l’ ai suivie, en chantant’ - waltzed into
the lift and the open-plan office with the music full
volume in my ears, I sing along, en chantant...

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http://www.lyrics007.com/Star%20Academy%20Lyrics/En%20Chantant%20Lyrics.html

Lyrics By - M. Sardou* , P. Delanoe* , R. Arnaldi Music By - S. Cutugno*.

(Salvatore Cutugno/Pierre Delanoé/Michel Sardou)
Quand j'étais petit garçon, je repassais mes leçons en chantant.
Et bien des années plus tard, je chassais mes idées noires en chantant.
C'est beaucoup moins inquiétant de parler du mauvais temps en chantant.
Et c'est tellement plus mignon de se faire traiter de con en chanson.
La vie c'est plus marrant, c'est moins désespérant en chantant.
La première fille de ma vie, dans la rue, je l'ai suivie en chantant.
Quand elle s'est déshabillée, j'ai joué l'vieil habitué en chantant.
J'étais si content de moi que j'ai fait l'amour dix fois en chantant.
Mais je n'peux pas m'expliquer qu'au matin, elle m'ait quitté enchantée.
L'amour c'est plus marrant, c'est moins désespérant en chantant.
Tous les hommes vont en galère, à la pêche ou à la guerre en chantant.
La fleur au bout du fusil, la victoire se gagne aussi en chantant.
On ne parle à Jéhovah, à Jupiter, à Bouddha qu'en chantant.
Quelles que soient nos opinions, on fait sa révolution en chanson.
Le monde est plus marrant et moins désespérant en chantant.
Puisqu'il faut mourir enfin, que ce soit côté jardin, en chantant
Si ma femme a de la peine, que mes enfants la soutiennent en chantant.
Quand j'irai revoir mon père qui m'attend les bras ouverts en chantant
J'aimerais que sur la terre, tous mes bons copains m'enterrent en chantant.
La mort c'est plus marrant, c'est moins désespérant en chantant.
Quand j'étais petit garçon, je repassais mes leçons en chantant.
Et bien des années plus tard, je chassais mes idées noires en chantant.
C'est beaucoup moins inquiétant de parler du mauvais temps en chantant.
Et c'est tellement plus mignon de se faire traiter de con en chanson.

Staring In Awed Horror

Got my translation back, making it clear why
I am who I am, two alternatives, I consistently
choose the wrong one, I use the continuous
tense in the wrong place, everything has to
be changed around, every phrase restated

Staring in awed horror at the mess I made
delighted to realize there really is something
different in my thinking process, rebellion is
ingrained in my mental landscape, I cannot
act in the same way as everyone else

Everybody works very hard on sameness, but
it is a spiritual principle that diversity is the most
beneficial part of the game, one connected to the
energy stream is more powerful that millions who
are not, I’m bursting at the seams with energy

Overflowing into aggression and wild movements,
when toning everything down to sit quietly like the
rest of the crowd, I become physically ill; allowing
my soul freedom to froth and seethe, I feel truly
alive, I can see why I give offence

I forgive myself for being so contrary and forgive
others for not having space for me, I probably would
have killed another person like me in impatience and
frustration, thank heaven my colleagues are angels
otherwise they would have hired an assassin

To remove my asinine person from amongst them…

A Bad Influence; Hallelujah!

I stupidly, idiotically thought
we were making progress in
understanding each other,
making space for one another,
I was wrong – right after com-
menting favourably on my poem
you accused me of being

Unfaithful, disloyal, a parasite, a
nonentity? Thank you, because
though I try to fit in, I never expect
this attempt to work; your behaviour
proves my point – I shall never amount
to anything more than a fool in the
world in which I live

It is fine, if Cinderella lived it down that
her two nasty and ugly stepsisters were
more acceptable than her own lovely self,
scrubbing palaces and stairs – then I can
come to grips with being regarded a bad
influence on our kids and everyone else –
hallelujah!

Cantharmonie; C’est Mon Histoire

It is quite easy to learn old French religious songs, called
‘Cantharmonie’ in an édition of ‘La Voix de l’Evangile’, fifth
édition, September 1978, Marseille, France – because I know
the melodies from Afrikaans! - take for example ‘Blye
Versek’ring’ from Halleluja Songs:

‘Blye versek’ring, Jesus is myn, o wat ‘n vreugde,
heerlik en rein, wedergebôre, rein deur sy bloed,
smaak ek sy vreugde in my gemoed - Dit is my roem-
taal, dit is my lied, lof wat ek Jesus ewig sal bied; dit is
my roemtaal, dit is my lied, lof wat ek Jesus ewig sal bied'

Originally in French - J’ai l’assurance de mon salut, par la
présence du Seigneur Jésus Christ – son sang m’a lavé,
m’a racheté, et l’esprit Saint m’a régénéré; C’est mon
histoire, c’est là mon chant, louer mon Sauveur à
chaque instant - c’est mon histoire, c’est là mon
chant, louer mon Sauveur à chaque instant'

It is so marvelous to find the well-known in new material,
many raised complaints about Afrikaans, the newcomer
to European languages, taking over European melodies –
for Pete’s sake, we are just a hundred years old,
where did you want us to borrow?

So whenever I come across old European traditions, it is
not strange to me, but as fresh as our young language
which produced a Bible in Afrikaans for the first time
in 1933, not even a hundred years ago, and the new
words we tagged on old tunes

Everything feeling so wonderful, I feel so at home when
studying the Europe of my forbears - with the
wonder and vitality of warm Africa
glowing in my heart!

A Special Flavour To Life

“Life is only about what you are,
right now, in this red-hot fresh
moment emitting.”

The crisis is over, I am emitting
joyous expectation in this red-hot
new moment

My tears are spent, looked to my
spiritual friend for upliftment
he told me to cheer up

My heart obeyed, a space in my
mind opened up, the space in
which joy always bubbles

The bubbles filled my heart, the
heaviness was gone, the world
looked beautiful, my eyes

Conferred beauty and joy to what
they see when I look at my little
world, I saw the sweet intention

Behind your harsh words and anger
self-pity melted, I lost my frown,
my thoughts came home

Although I cannot deal with criticism -
it is necessary, the wound is healed
leaving no scars

The tears I cried purified my mind
cleansed my heart, when I look at
myself, I can see

I deserved what I got, it sets me free
to try again to meet the goals that
confers a special flavour to life

Fear Closed My Mind

Time passes, these painful moments
will also be left behind, the pain
in my mind will be stilled, the
pressure in my heart will lift

I shall sit still, bring my thoughts
home, find the safe place in the heart
of the storm where beauty and peace await
feelings and emotions will settle down

I shall be happy again, when your anger
is spent, when self-justification looses
its hold, when conditions are set, we
shall carry on, doing the best we can

Attempting to achieve our goals quietly
but first I have to cry, let the tears flow
in unfettered self-pity for all that I have
done wrong

First unload fear, the awful feeling that
I am overcome by a wave of destructive
rejection, suffocating in despair
I looked for a friend

And found none, it is my own fault, fear
closed my mind to the perception of
goodness in life…