House of Light
There is geography inside you, the mystic ocean is pristine
It is the spirit realm, and you are at the helm
where all the hungry souls convene
Your instruments are gauged for motion
don't tie the craft to keep it still
For if the captain's idle, then the ship is bridled
And you have a voyage to fulfill
This vessel harbors no one meek, the timid never seek
But you watch the water rise, and you have anxious eyes
There is a compass in your chest - pressing toward the house of light
There is a purpose you possess - pressing toward the house of light
With every drop and every crest, I see your sails are full and tight
Pressing toward the house of light
Some may embrace their hesitation
with the passive anchors that they lay
But retrospect will prove that those who never move
become a pirate's easy prey
This boat is the sum of all your actions
its body is a product of your deeds
Crossing water fast, ambition is the mast
And you were christened with Godspeed
The frightened ones who wouldn't board envy you from shore
For you're in the rising tide and you are eager eyed
There is a compass in your chest - pressing toward the house of light
There is a purpose you possess - pressing toward the house of light
With every drop and every crest, I see your sails are full and tight
Pressing toward the house of light
You are immersed in affirmation
Bathed in the source of your creation
Some are tempted by a dimmer glow
and drown in the undertow
But you are centered in a higher conscious wind
You see the beacon clear and bright
There is a compass in your chest - pressing toward the house of light
There is a purpose you possess - pressing toward the house of light
With every drop and every crest, I see your sails are full and tight
Pressing toward the house of light
I just downloaded (legally, even) a bootleg from a Stuart Davis show in 1994. Apparently it was the release show for his Self Untitled album up in Minnesota. If you haven't heard of him before, you're required to attend one of his shows as soon as humanly possible. He absolutely ROCKS. I've been a fan for 5 years and have seen him live about 10 times. The guy has put out 9 full-length albums and is on tour pretty much all year at small clubs throughout the Midwest as well as California and Colorado. GO SEE HIM. I've been listening to his newer stuff lately, and the song above didn't do much for me on the studio version, but the live one really grabbed me. It's such an incredible sentiment, and it gains extra points for making me think just reading the lyrics. For the last few weeks I have been trying to put down my thoughts on the idea of fate and destiny, the responsibility we have for our actions, and then I hear this and it occurs to me that I just need to copy the lyrics down and shut up. Of course, I won't quit just yet. Consider one verse in particular:
This boat is the sum of all your actions
its body is a product of your deeds
Crossing water fast, ambition is the mast
And you were christened with Godspeed
"This boat is the sum of all your actions" -- You're responsible for what happens to you. Everything that occurs is a direct result of a decision, or a series of them, that you've made. Does that mean you could have anticipated everything that happens? Obviously not, but you can always trace it back to your actions.
"This body is the product of your deeds" -- Well, this is all about karma, isn't it? Your choices have repercussions, for better or worse. If you believe that there's energy associated with what you do (and experience seems to bear this out over time, at least for me), each of those choices tends to take on some additional significance.
"Crossing water fast, ambition is the mast" -- I know just about nothing about sailing, but I've read that speed is generated by the mast as much as the sails. Or, more to the point, the mast can limit the speed. If it's cracked or weak or unsteady, you can't put as much sail up and can't take advantage of the wind you have. If we're all truly limitless beings, capable of whatever we desire and are willing to dedicate ourselves to, then that willingness (our ambition) is what determines how much of that energy we can use. Fucking cool, isn't it?
"And you were christened with Godspeed" -- It reminds me of a great line from Richard Bach's Illusions: "Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they’re yours." Tell yourself enough that you can’t do something and you shouldn't be surprised that it never happens. But try it the other way, and it’s amazing what you’ll be able to do, things you never imagined. Doesn't it seem like we get glimpses of this potential sometimes? I don’' see them every day like some do, but every now and then I swear I can see limitless potential in my friends, or my family, or random people I meet. It happens when I experience a piece of artwork, either visual or written or performed. It happens sometimes when I take a walk that’s not designed to burn off the cookies I shouldn’t have eaten for dessert. It happens, sometimes, when I first wake up on a Saturday and write in my rarely updated dream journal.
--jhf, 4/4/2003