Three Artist Challenge Chapter Two: Iron and Wine

My second step in the snowy footprints of a greater artist is in the steel-toed boots (speculation) of Iron and Wine.  Here's a song to listen to during this post.

This was not my plan.  To be honest, my second artist was going to be the great John K. Samson who was the first indie musician other than my David to entrall my little jelly heart.  And yet, the track spinning in my head the day I sat down to write my newest song "Small Planes" was not "My Favorite Chords" or "New Name for Everything" or even "Elegy for Elsabet".

It was "Jesus the Mexican Boy" by Iron and Wine.

Recently, David and I came home on one of our days together and David just wilted.  We'd been out in the snow, running to the church so David could practice with the music directors for two pieces they were to perform that Sunday.  He had a fever.

Not wanting to go home, wanting to stay with me, he rested the remainder of the day while I gave him some fever reducer, a cool washcloth for his neck, and checked his temperature every so often.  I loved taking care of him and I feel badly about saying that because he was so sick.

While he rested, I watched his face.

That was the beginning of this song.

"Small Planes"
Half-Hearted Elephant

Ezra’s fever is spiking.
Sees hanging paper planes over his bed.
His face like pennies he rubs with ketchup to burnish
In pain, but he finds solace,
Like small planes find love in the angel tread
Because the Carmex on his nose smells like Mommy’s purse.

On the small paper airplane away he goes.
And the wind that blows him is warm and smooth.
No snow angels gave him this sickness, he knows.
In the wind’s hands… “If anything, I love you!”

Ezra’s mommy is smoking
Over a bowl of soggy Fruit Loops. Lets
The embers douse in the milk but Ezra fears ashes
Will burn baby sister’s lashes,
Car seat on the table where all day she‘s left.
For their health, her yo-yo promise to quit rehashes.

When the carton of Camels
Is dumped out the window, there’s hope, and yet,
The next withdrawal comes before they’re happy again
A half-hour later she says
“Fish them from the snow. Don’t care if they’re wet.
Don’t care if it’s cold, and death draws plans on your skin.”

On the small paper airplane away he goes.
And the wind that blows him is warm and smooth.
No snow angels gave him this sickness, he knows.
In the wind’s hands… “If anything, I love you!”

Ezra’s fever is growing.
Stands on his bed, picks the plane, broken string.
His room falls away as the paper plane takes wing
Glorious red Exit sign
“Mistreatment you’ve known, but!” the Father sings:
“If anything, I love you! I love you, if anything!”

Three Artist Challenge Chapter One: Emmy the Great

As I've blogged before, David aspires to be a professional musician and composer.  Following my desire to be involved in such an important part of his life, I want to write lyrics for his music.  So, I wrote "The Ground Never Quite Touches the Sky" ... but, it was so difficult for David to compose music because it had no meter.  I hate meter.

David suggested that I study my favorite songwriters to learn how to write to a beat.  Thus the Three Artist Songwriting Challenge was born.

I'm to choose three songwriters I admire and imitate their style.  With any craft, imitation is the best way for beginners to learn.  In my creative writing classes we did this often.  For example, I once wrote a poem based on Ted Kooser's "Selecting an Reader." (Read it! I love this poem.)

The first artist in my challenge is Emmy the Great! I love her frank and vivid language.  She's my favorite artist of all, so she was garunteed to be the first.  I chose "Absentee" because it was stuck in my head, found the lyrics (edited them... stupid hard of hearing fans), counted the syllables in each line, and marked the rhyme scheme.  I didn't bother with scansion because I will never understand those cups and strikes.

I took the blog post I wrote "Surprise Paper Bag" and now it's a song.  (I changed the skeleton of the song near the end to suit my own purposes.  When imitating, don't be afraid to go off on your own ideas.  Duh.)  David was so happy! And I was brimful of joy!

Surprise Paper Bag

Half-Hearted Elephant

Don’t know who I really am

Staring, in Daddy’s T-shirt, bangs with one curl,

At a surprise paper bag, the one marked “girl”

Dull ribbons

The dollar store will be closing soon

Crumpled dollar bill in my fist waits to hear

The verdict. Wheels grind in my ear

What’s in it?

Yo-yo? Squirt gun? Doll whose paint runs?

I am a surprise paper bag

What will I be if I break inside?

And who would like the things that I find?

If I shared them.

I see a small bright face, a boy

Standing down the aisle. How long has he been?

Blue juice from a gumball dribbles down his chin

Smiles at me.

Shy he finds beautiful, loneliness, too

He picks the bag though sullied and bruised

Pulls out things I thought I was born without

Says don’t pout

Glow in the dark stars

“You’re beautiful and I love you”

Pearl studded hair bow

“You’re you and I want to be with you”

Gold foil glitter glue

“It’s all there and I want to be there, too”

And a pinwheel made of spoons.