Break into song

As the days went by, we gals found that we got a charge out of breaking into song, when some idea reminded us of a good lyric or refrain from a childhood song, a musical, music of the old west, patriotic pieces, or the pop music we grew up on.  You know how that goes... you remember the refrain...but some of the words in the verses come out "la, la, la."  Sometimes I was so tickled and entertained at how good some were at remembering lyrics from way back "in the day." 

In the upstairs study... a tiny room...I found a great place to compose.

One of our duties while at the lighthouse was to put a daily entry into the lighthouse journal, which was on the buffet in the dining room; several of us took turns doing this task.  It was most interesting to read what other Keepers had written during their week-long stay.  We enjoyed composing some poetry to capture our experience, and we included those pieces in the journal.  Perhaps it was because we were retired teachers that we were willing to take some extra time be inspired - to write - to create - to chose our words carefully.  Several Haiku poems emerged.  Here's one we composed while in a restaurant, waiting to be served:

 

Lighthouse Ladies

Woven together

Like a treasured tapestry

Friendships old and new

 

I think I already mentioned that we did not watch a TV show or listen to a radio the whole time we were together.  We all wanted to be in the moment, enjoy the surroundings, listen to nature, listen to each other, listen to the quiet.  So, all our meal times and crafting sessions were filled with stories of our lives.  We learned so much from each other - things that enriched our own experiences. 

Here's a poem I wrote, entitled "AFTER."

After a kaleidoscope of color rises over Dungeness Spit,

After lingering shadows of fog lift above the bay,

After the Stars and Stripes are reverently hoisted atop the pole,

After voices in the Keepers' Kitchen begin to joyfully anticipate the new day,

After six strong women share another of their life stories, their courage, 

their compassion, their bumps in the road, their humor...

They just might break into song, a verse from the past for the moment.