Friday Feels Like: Sohl

a cluster of glories erupted from his skull.

filled with a holy dread he opened his

chest and removed a small oval hand mirror.

ivory and crystal and perfectly wrought. he

had intended to inspect his head but instead

dwelt for several minutes on the elegant

craftsmanship of the mirror. the ivory had

a rich grain, veins, and in the center, a

crack. he knelt down and squinted so as to get

a better look. in the crack there was a garden.

it was so green that he fell down in laughter

and rolled and rolled in and over the cool

blades. the blood streamed and covered the amazing

fields. the pale glories, accustomed to worship,

reared their heads and let themselves be washed

in the ruby luxury. after several days of

rain and all traces of the man gone the

children were let free to roam and gloat in 

the long fields of poppies.

– Patti Smith, Babel, 1978.

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A wonderful trail of words and imagery from poet, songwriter, and author Patti Smith. I love how each phrase takes you in another direction. You think you’re heading north but her lyrical eyes are pointing you east.

I watched ‘Let It Be‘ the other night, a documentary on The Beatles of studio footage from their time spent recording their album, Let It Be, at Apple Studios in London. I sometimes, mistakenly, group The Beatles into a more commercial, popular-culture realm, but actually, as I am frequently reminded, they are far more than that. Each band member is far beyond capable at playing whatever instrument he wishes in the recording studio, and their remarkable way of writing music and lyrics together was so beautiful to watch.

Paul McCartney is a musical genius, stringing his mind’s tangents together to form intricate phrasing and melody that is far from anything commercial. And when George Harrison plays, for the first time, the song ‘I Me Mine‘ on his guitar to the rest of the band… “See what you think of this, lads.” Or when John Lennon, wearing the most epic fur jacket, belts out the vocals to ‘Dig A Pony‘ on the rooftop of Apple Studios to hundreds of by-standers. In these moments these guys find magic.

Friday feels like letting go of any direction for a moment, long enough to allow the possibility of the state of tangency, flow, spontaneity, and magic to set in.