Xylophone
She found a toy xylophone
Among her gifts that year,
Leaning against the Christmas tree
With tiny mallets near.
Silently she circled the tree,
Staring at each new thing.
Which would be the first one chosen
To make her small heart sing?
Would it be the ballerina
In silks of scarlet shade?
Or the little wind-up puppy
Who rolled and barked and played?
Would she choose the Mother Goose Book
With pop-up pictures new?
Or the shiny red tricycle?
We did not have a clue.
Circling the tree yet once again --
She looked so small and lone --
Examining each new treasure,
She chose the xylophone.
Carrying it from room to room,
She kept it always near;
The silvery little tunes she played
Were such a joy to hear!
She passed it on, when older-grown,
To a younger little boy;
One mallet broken and mended,
It was still a usable toy.
With years of many instruments
And much, much music made,
I wondered if she remembered
Those first notes she had played.
Her eyes lit up as she recalled
The silvery notes and tone --
The love for music she had gained
From that small toy xylophone.
~ Ann Cragg ~
Copyright © 1999 Ann Cragg, from the book Ghosts and Echoes.
All rights reserved. Used with the kind permission of the author.
For more works or information: Ann Cragg.
Musings on Music
What did people do before the advent of music?
How did they stay calm throughout a long, nerve-wracking day?
How did they relax after a long, hard day at work?
What did they sing to -- and what did they dance to --
when at play?
Music is a common language spoken round the world;
Music builds a bridge between all peoples and all lands;
Music is the link which holds us close together;
Music is the bond of love in which we all clasp hands.
What did people do before the advent of music?
~ Ann Cragg ~
Copyright © 1999 Ann Cragg, from the book Ghosts and Echoes.
All rights reserved. Used with the kind permission of the author.
For more works or information: Ann Cragg.
Memory's Trail
Where does the music come from
As you walk down memory's trail?
Each word, each phrase, the melody,
Comes clearly without fail.
Place yourself upon the path,
You'll know right from the start . . .
The music and the memories
Are found within your heart.
~ Sarah Hastings ~
Copyright © 1999 Sarah Hastings. All rights reserved.
Used with the kind permission of the author.
The Arrow and the Song
I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~
Listen to the Song in You
Listen
To the song in you.
It's there
In whatever puts stars
In your eyes
And makes your heart sing.
Listen
To your feelings
And you will hear
Who you are
And what you must do.
Listen
To your needs
And you will know
Where to find
What you are looking for.
Listen
To the wisdom within.
It is trying to lead you
To your destiny.
Listen
To the song in you
And your life
Will be one of harmony.
You will be
Who you were meant to be,
You will be complete
And at peace
And happier than you've ever been,
If only you will
Listen
To the song in you . . .
~ Nancye Sims ~
Copyright © 1999 Nancye Sims. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint may be requested by emailing Ms. Sims at Nancye Sims. Visit Nancye's website: Inspired by God
From 'A Song for Occupations'
All music is what awakes from you when you
are reminded by the instruments,
It is not the violins and the cornets, it is not the
oboe nor the beating drums, nor the score
of the baritone singer singing his sweet romanza,
nor that of the men's chorus,
nor that of the women's chorus,
It is nearer and farther than they.
~ Walt Whitman ~
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