conversations and poems and words and non-words and my utter inability to quote piano pieces. this is a bit of what has been filling my head lately. traveling gives one lots of time to think. as i sat in the bus last weekend on my way to wuerzburg, i was listening to music--partially to keep me from thinking TOO much. this completely backfired, of course. but it was good.

disclaimer: i don't really want to be one of those people who lists the last ten songs randomly played on their ipod... it's way too easy to make something out of which songs are played and pretend that it's profound or something. or just to say, hey, look how cool i am, i listen to this and this and this... but that said... here are the last ten songs randomly played on my ipod =) just kidding. sort of. see... it was kind of like this. i had had a pretty shitty week, but the sun was shining, and i was starting to think it might be ok. but i wasn't sure if i was ready to commit to being hopeful, because that can be dangerous, you know??? thus the appeal of the shuffle songs function. sure enough...

first song : ben harper : the power of the gospel
second : linford detweiler : mary's hymn
third : bob dylan : buckets of rain
fourth : muse : ruled by secrecy
fifth : U2 : bad
sixth : sarah mclachlan : hold on
seventh : ani difranco : carry you around

can we talk about this?!?!? (that is, i'm going to quote from a couple of them, and you're going to be amazed by the profundity of it all, right?)


ben
"It will make a weak man mighty
it will make a mighty man fall
it will fill your heart and hands
or leave you with nothing at all
it's the eyes for the blind
and legs for the lame
it is love for hate
and pride for shame"

mary's hymn is a piano piece, which, unfortunately, i don't know how to quote, but it was fitting. quite.

U2
"If you twist and turn away
If you tear yourself in two again
If I could, yes I would
If I could, I would
Let it go
Surrender...
Dislocate...
If I could throw this
Lifeless lifeline to the wind
Leave this heart of clay
See you walk, walk away
Into the night
And through the rain
Into the half-light
And through the flame

If I could through myself
Set your spirit free
I'd lead your heart away
See you break, break away
Into the light...
And to the day...

To let it go! And so to fade away
Let it go!
And so fade away
I'm wide awake!
I'm wide awake!
Wide awake! I'm not sleeping, oh no, no, no..."


ani
"how pleased can one
sun setting make you
if you humble yourself
to it?
how grateful can you
really say that you are
just to be here and live
through it?
and when beauty asks a question
how often do you reply?
how often do you wonder
about life on the other side?
on the other side of sorrow
on the other side of rage
on the other side of o.k.
o.k. at all
in any way..."

ok, i was going to quote more, but this post is long enough already. i have about 800 stories i need to tell, too, and i just haven't gotten around to it. there have been many adventure in the past few weeks, most of which have gone unreported. i also have a nice little rant about the deutsche post saved up, too... =)