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Mistletoe Angel

Member Empyrean

since 2000-12-17

Posts 32816
Portland, Oregon

0 posted 2013-12-15 11:49 PM

(This is a song I wrote about one of the hardest workers and producers I have ever known who has inspired and tugged at countless hearts..........yet abruptly took his life at a young age two and a half years ago due to depression and a longtime back injury and thus broke the heart of an entire community! ; __ ;

He is my foremost inspiration as an event producer myself and, following the tragedy, it felt as though buildings were imploding all around me. I turned to countless friends for therapy and emotional support as I felt depressive spending a great part of those two years working alongside him, including just two days before the tragedy, and to hear the shattering news left me panicking..........as I was already feeling emotionally emaciated and exhausted after working full-time ten days straight producing a festival and grappling with feelings of loneliness of my own.

So my song touches on all of this: coping with loss, and hopefully also using the power of community and celebration as a most effective means of honoring and preserving the memory of those we love the most given the kinds of events he most enjoyed producing merged rave/Burning culture with charity.........so I envisioned this as a power ballad for the rave culture.

I chose the title "Lighthouse in a Bottle" because one of the very last events he went to that left an impression on thousands was titled "Lightning In The Bottle" and when contemplating the duality of light and darkness, I thought of what Charles Simic said: "Inside my empty bottle I was constructing a lighthouse while all others were making ships." And Richter was obviously one in a rare breed of lighthouse architects to this world! ; __ ; )

*

*

Lighthouse In A Bottle
By: Noah Hibiscus Eaton
12/15/13
.
.
.
...I've got your souvenir,
dangling from my neck,
this shiny silver whistle,
with a pendant,
that you gave me,
the first time we met,
and I forgot to return...
.
.
.
...you said whenever I blew it,
you'd come running to my side,
walkie talkie in hand,
don't hesitate, don't think twice,
sighing like a furnace...

...while sitting tense,
behind your own heart's curtain...
.
.
.
...you grew tired,
of searching for words,
in the sky,
because one's often silent,
when one's screaming inside...

...and every thought's a firefight,
every breath's a tug-of-war,
until you're not sure,
you're not going to win anymore...
.
.
.
…so let's dance,
on the edges of time tonight...

...and find strength in what remains behind...

...a horizon is nothing,
save the limits of our sight...

...tell us what you need,
we're enfolding you in light tonight...
.
.
.
…there's the glow that illumines,
and the glare that obscures,
all the stage hands in the world,
can't hide being desperately unrehearsed,
and we write our own shadow plays,
behind the smoky mirrors,
and masquerades...
.
.
.
...and we spin,
our own airy citadels,
because a pleasant illusion's,
better than a prison cell,
but you can't compress the air...

...nor can you surround the sound...
.
.
.
...and the fog machines,
become facades,
and the flash of sirens,
flood the esplanade...

...while the moonflowers hum,
speechless elegies,
that brings the peanut gallery,
down to its knees...
.
.
.
...oh, let's dance,
on the edges of time tonight...

....and find strength in what remains behind...

...a horizon is nothing,
save the limits of our sight...

...tell us what you need,
we're enfolding you in light tonight...
.
.
.
...drop everything,
we're emerging and seeing tonight...
.
.
.
.
.
…I should have known,
I should have found out,
in your empty bottle,
you were building a lighthouse,
while most others were building ships...

...now I'm catching fire,
with this burning question:
.
.
.
.
.
...Did we fail,
to hold you up...
.
.
.
...when you needed,
to be carried,
toward the sun...
.
.
.
...the shadow remains,
and we make room for it...
.
.
.
...though you've left the building,
the memory reverberates...
.
.
.
...endlessly...
.
.
.
.
.
...oh, let's dance,
on the edges of time tonight...

...and find strength in what remains behind...

...a horizon is nothing,
save the limits of our sight...

...tell us what you need,
we're glowing in the dark tonight...
.
.
.
...we're glowing in the dark tonight...
.
.
.
...give away the breath,
that carries you tonight...
.
.
.
...we're glowing in the dark tonight...
.
.
.

*

*

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other"

Mother Teresa

Kit McCallum

Administrator

Member Laureate

since 2000-04-30

Posts 14774
Ontario, Canada

1 posted 2013-12-16 09:18 PM

"and we write our own shadow plays,
behind the smoky mirrors,
and masquerades..."

Noah, I am so sorry to hear of this loss.

This is a lovely tribute to your friend.

Sending best wishes and a hug,
Kit

2islander2
Member Ascendant

since 2008-03-12

Posts 6825
by the sea

2 posted 2013-12-17 01:27 AM

the poem is poignant and has graceful emotions and images, i think some people are effectively lighthouses and bring us this light we often miss,thanks a lot for the precious words

yann

Kaoru

Member Elite

since 2003-06-07

Posts 3892
where the wild flowers grow

3 posted 2013-12-17 11:50 PM

"...you grew tired,
of searching for words,
in the sky,
because one's often silent,
when one's screaming inside...

...and every thought's a firefight,
every breath's a tug-of-war,
until you're not sure,
you're not going to win anymore..."

"...Did we fail,
to hold you up..."

This is a very beautiful tribute, I had trouble finding the lines I loved the most about it being that they all flow so effortlessly together. It isn't just that, it's that I've felt that kind of pain; both loss, and wanting to be lost. I enjoyed and appreciated this work, thank you for sharing it and I'm sorry for your loss.

Margherita
Member Seraphic

since 2003-02-08

Posts 22236
Eternity

4 posted 2013-12-18 01:59 PM

Dear Noah,

you have written a very touching piece of poetry here in memory of your friend.

You cherish his gift and the memories ... Deeply sensitive personalities sometimes can't take the hurdles of life's challenges. But they have walked their path and left behind tracks of light which represent the real gift.

Very beautifully written.

Margherita

JamesMichael
Member Empyrean

since 1999-11-16

Posts 33336
Kapolei, Hawaii, USA

5 posted 2013-12-27 07:47 PM

fine writing of your friend Noah...James

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