Island Blues

Sitting alone in a candle lit room
I close my eyes and inhale deeply
holding it momentarily before exhaling
releasing more than just a breath of air-
the soothing melody of island music gradually drowns out
the quite hum of the refrigerator
the crying infant next door
and the whirring of my laptop.

The sounds of the ukulele strumming
accompanied by various stringed instruments
performed so skillfully and rhythmically
present a solitary and calming retreat
Not quite understanding the lyrics
but appreciating the beauty of not knowing them
and letting the harmony pacify my worries to bliss
lure me into the serene.

The mesmerizing vocals singing of aloha
are like haunting, yet persuasive chants to the gods to
transport me back to the land of paradise
leaving behind the cold winter nights of Minnesota
to the white sand beaches of Maui
lined with luscious green palm trees
under a pink and velvet night sky.

MnM 11-15-03

Maybe it's because we checked out that jazz club and opened our ears to some spoken word....maybe it's because Firemarshall J brought some sun from da islands with him to Minnesota....or maybe it's because it's so terribly cold and white outside. Whatever the case may be, I wrote this about a month ago, but just thought it was fitting for today.