That's one humongous guitar!
In my early 20's, I had a waking-dream about flying over sand dunes in Arabia in a two-seater "Jenny" bi-plane. I heard it only faintly at first, but as I flew closer, I could hear the unmistakable sounds of a guitar being played.
But what a guitar! Nestled in between a pair of parallel dune ridges, it was hundreds of feet in length and the sound carried for miles, enriched and nuanced by interaction with the unending series of rippling dunes. It was "played," not by some giant, but by artificial "fingers" mounted on a sliding track and controlled mechanically from afar. Its strings were actually metal cables, inches in thickness.
Later, I discovered, this was an indulgence financed by some oil-rich prince who wanted to bring "life" to the barren land. And he had chosen this artifice as his means. His extravagance extended to having a seating-area hollowed out, several dozen feet under the guitar for his lucky guests to enjoy a resonating, musical bath.
This dream was inspired by placing my ear on the body of an acoustic 12-string guitar I had recently purchased. Sometimes simple gestures can inspire mighty imaginings!
A Youthful Anecdote
When I was 14-years-old, I tried an experiment with Simon & Garfunkel's Poem on the Underground Wall. I had a record player with 4 speeds: 78 rpm, 45, 33⅓, and 16. In the old days (before CD players), you had to adjust your music machine to play at 45 rpm if you had a (gasp!) vinyl record with only one song on each side. If you had an album, you cranked it down to 33⅓ rpm. Certain vintage LPs played at 78.
I never understood what the 16 rpm setting was for, hence my experiment: I played Poem on the Underground Wall, literally, in slow-motion. Just for the hell of it; you know how kids are. Talk about a happy accident! Given the fact that S&G sing so highly and sweetly, notching them down an octave made them sound like (well) regular guys singing.
Even though that was over 40 years ago, I'll never forget how overwhelmed I was by being immersed in the echoes of a subway station late at night as they opened with:
"The last train is nearly due, the underground is closing soon, and in the dark deserted station, restless in anticipation, a man waits in the shadows."
After the last footstepping notes sounded, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven.
Summoning the Spirit
I heard Summoning the Spirit by Llewellyn, which I have adopted as my personal anthem sans lyrics. In fact, during my inauguration, I would love to have Summoning played, instead of Hail to the Chief. Come to think of it, I will not suffer Hail to be played even once during my four years. This is my gesture in opposition to the Imperial Presidency, which I hope to bring to an end.
Summoning is one of the most beautiful arrangements I have ever heard. And I offer it to my countrymen as the theme of my administration, saying (in effect): "Too many of us here have fallen victim to false prophets or, just as bad, denied spirit altogether. By Summoning the Spirit, I don't mean to conjure an Entity but I hope to summon each of our individual spirits. With these individuals summoned and united in goodness, we can turn back from the darkness we're more and more resigning ourselves to."
Night Protection
Then there's Night Protection by Medwyn Goodall. I offer that as another symbolic statement: "Until we emerge from our national darkness, we would do well to pray for protection." Sounds like a lofty interpretational stretch, I admit, but upon hearing it (especially, more than once) I'm sure you'll feel that meaning. And, no, you won't have to listen to it dozens of times as I have.
Upshot (and not “bottom line”)
My musing here have been rather kaleidoscopic, but sometimes bits and pieces of a personal vision can be meaningfully reassembed in the minds of kindred spirits. Please, do behold and do reassemble and - add your own bits and pieces to the mix. I know that many of my fellow Terrans have a profoundly spiritual nature. I invite you to help me make it possible for spirit to flourish here.
Steven Searle for U.S. President in 2012
Founder of The Independent Contractors' Party
I am the only candidate with a contract: "You wouldn't sell your house without a contract; why give your vote away?"
No comments:
Post a Comment