MidiMike

A Billion Snowflakes

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There are thousands of things I haven’t done in my life

With a million reasons why.

If I haven’t gotten to all of them by now

I more than likely never will.

I could do so much today but I’ve been there before.

One more time but not sure what for.

A Billion Snowflakes so unlike any other

If truthful; exactly the same.

There are a Billion Snowflakes circling around you.

There are a Billion Snowflakes and one landed next to you.

In this place at the perfect time.

That is how I found you.

There are a Billion Snowflakes of magnificence and beauty.

There are a Billion Snowflakes and one landed next to me.

In this place and only this time.

That is how you found me.

Holding your hand the world that surrounds me is new

Music breaks my heart in two.

I knew all the words but now know their meaning

You stood there and just opened the door.

I kept thinking there was no one out there like me

So you surely could never be.

And if I completely lost myself in someone

Impossible they would feel the same.

There are a Billion Snowflakes of magnificence and beauty.

There are a Billion Snowflakes and one landed next to me.

In this place at the perfect time.

That is how I found you.

That is how I found me.

Image — Posted: March 7, 2018 in Poetry
Tags: #family, #inspiration, #life, #opinion, #personal, #photography, #poetry, #questions, #truth, #writing

Recovery Time

Posted: February 26, 2018 in My Tunes
Tags: #audio, #blog, #computer, #conversation, #creativity, #life, #media, #music, #people, #personal, #photography, #poetry, #tech, #work, #writing

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I guess my age and the labor-intensive job I have will collide more frequently than I would hope. The impact on my body is two-fold:

On one hand I maintain strength and flexibility.

On the other I stress muscles, tendons, bones and stamina beyond what is probably safe or healthy.

I am a dork. I like to work hard. Like walking slowly……. I can’t do it. It actually takes more effort for me to slow down and it feels awkward. I work the same way. If there is a deadline or clear goal I work harder.

Just over a week ago I went to an orthopedic doctor to perform bi-lateral carpal tunnel surgery. I could have done one hand at a time but each recovery would be about six weeks. Even if there was no time in-between – or they overlap a little, that is a long time. I don’t want to go back to work sooner, but I would like to start playing instruments and recording. If I do them both at the same time I will be ready to start working on getting my chops back up to speed sooner. If I am really lucky, there will be improvements in dexterity and endurance.

I still do things I can. I write poetry and lyrics. I look at their musical possibilities and as soon as a melody or chord progression forms I can’t let it go. I cannot play guitar or drums, and very little keyboards at this point, but I managed to put some drum loops down for my recent post: “Something To Say”. Without other instruments I wrote a melody from the drums and meter of the lyrics. Usually I would have instruments to sing against, so this is kind of working backwards from my usual creative flow. Maybe I will complete the song with other instruments. Maybe you will, and send them to me!

“Something To Say”

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Sorry about your luck

But I’ve got mine.

That’s why I keep my guitars

Tuned up all the time.

You never know when it’s time to play!

People that show up late

Always drive too fast.

Going here or out to Mars

I’m never the last.

Sometimes you just gotta get away!

Those without answers

Are the first to complain.

Their whining and crying

Just drives me insane.

Open your mouth when you have Something To Say!

Life can be unfair

Not like you planned.

The best singer you ever heard

Joined another band.

Nothing you can do will make them stay!

I for one can’t help but see

Why anyone would bend the knee.

The difference between you and me

You want it all but won’t pay the fee.

Sometimes you just gotta get away!

Open your mouth when you have something to say!

Image — Posted: February 19, 2018 in Poetry
Tags: #driving, #life, #opinion, #photography, #poetry, #question, #travel, #writing

“From Start To Stop” – New Video

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I added a new original video for my song “From Start To Stop”. My wife Ellen does the vocals and Greg Stern wrote most of the music and plays guitar. Ellen and I wrote the lyrics.

I have mentioned Spring Grove Cemetery in past articles and posts and that is where I shot the video. There was very heavy fog that day and Ellen suggested we take some pictures there. I will post some of those in the near future, and I also shot a video using my phone that became the background for the video. There is a small mound with tombstones all around the center. You can drive all around it so I shot the video as Ellen drove around the mound. Most of the pictures in the video are mine, but I had a bit of help from my friends over the years!

The YouTube link is below. I hope you enjoy.

https://youtu.be/Xzp8QWqgeSY

Image — Posted: February 12, 2018 in Video
Tags: #audio, #computer, #conversation, #creativity, #friends, #inspiration, #life, #music, #people, #personal, #photo, #photography, #poetry, #question, #questions, #stories, #travel, #truth, #video, #writing

Music for “This Moment”

Posted: February 5, 2018 in family
Tags: #audio, #brother, #conversation, #family, #inspiration, #life, #music, #opinion, #people, #personal, #poetry, #thanks, #truth, #writing

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When I wrote the lyrics to This Moment, I had been thinking about my younger brother. He died from throat cancer a while back. He was the funniest and kindest person I have ever known. Even in the last few weeks of his battle you would never know he was losing. I spoke with his doctor and stated my brother was exhausted; no money or resources, no physical or emotional strength reserves, no medical options left. I was told others that were in a better state might be able to hold out longer. Soon my wife and I got a call and rushed to the hospital as we had a number of times before. He was in ICU this time and there was nothing to be done. The next expectation was the cancer would eat through the main artery in his neck. I will spare you the rest.

As he woke up and looked around, he was puzzled and almost excited at the same time. He could not talk, so he wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to me. “Is this real?” was written at the top of the page. Between the medications and his state of mind, he was not sure if he was dreaming or not. He had been in hospital rooms many times, but he knew this was different. I told him that we are in the hospital. I confirmed he was dying and there was little time left. His artery would rupture soon. A moment difficult to prepare for.

The lyrics worked their way from my thoughts to the paper as I recalled that time in the hospital. How I felt: how he must have felt. My thoughts wandered to the many times I have talked and laughed with him over the years.

Your thoughts and comments were truly appreciated. I put the lyrics to music recently. This is not a perfect recording. This is as far as it goes for me. Please accept it as it is. For all of us that have lost loved ones and friends, sometimes we just need to share the loss. Maybe it makes it easier to turn the pain into great memories.

“B4 We Fell In Love”

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“Before We Fell In Love” ^{(c)1-19-94 MSK}

The painting used to be stunning,

Now it is shallow and pale.

What was once strong and firm,

Stands undecided and frail.

Anxiously awaiting the feast

Doesn’t seem worth the hassle.

These rooms so dark and lonely,

Were once a mighty castle.

The pool is deep,

It goes on forever.

Things don’t really change,

Only how we wish to see.

She used to be so beautiful,

He was so gentle and kind.

They wish not to see each other now,

To leave all their past behind.

Summer seemed to last forever,

Years pass in the blink of an eye.

When old friends come to visit,

You can’t wait to say good-bye.

The pool is deep,

The grass is always greener.

I was who I am

Before we fell in love.

Image — Posted: January 28, 2018 in Poetry
Tags: #conversation, #family, #friends, #inspiration, #life, #lyrics, #opinion, #people, #personal, #photography, #poetry, #question, #questions, #songwriter, #story, #truth, #writer, #writing

The Not So Round Table

Posted: January 21, 2018 in family
Tags: #family, #inspiration, #life, #music, #opinion, #personal

My wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary and her birthday recently. We planned to meet with friends and have a dinner out. We usually fill our bellies and head to someone’s house after the meal. I have mentioned that a lot of our friends are musicians and creative types. These are the people we invite to celebrate birthdays and such! They are talented, creative thinkers and artistic wizards.

I bring this up to explain our tradition at the dinner tables when we gather. Most restaurants have long tables for large parties. Too many for the round tables available, we are all seated and start chatting. Years ago we thought it would be more of a social mix if we chatted for a while and get appetizers and drinks when we get seated……… then everyone would take their drinks and move 3-4 seats over – in the same direction. That way we could talk with different groups of people during the evening.

The waiter/waitress would come back and look around rather puzzled for a few seconds. Most start to grin and roll with it very well. Some are truly amazing and funny.

We might wait until after we order the main course and move seats again!

For our recent anniversary the place was busy and chaotic. The manager filled in as our waitress because we had waited so long to be seated. We decided not to rotate as we usually do to avoid further confusion and delays LOL!

Here’s to another year with friends at the not so round table.

This Moment

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While you sleep

You will lay safely.

I will caress you

I will keep you warm.

When the world

Is beyond your touch

I will hold your hand

I will call your name.

There is pain

Lost behind the door.

‘Til then embrace it

And the good things in life.

This Moment

With all the others

I’ll remember you

And still hear your laugh.

Overwhelming

What if it’s not a dream?

I’ll tell you what’s real

As moments remain.

This Moment

With all the others

I’ll remember you

And still hear you laugh.

In memory of my brother Christopher.

Image — Posted: January 15, 2018 in Poetry
Tags: #brother, #family, #inspiration, #life, #opinion, #personal, #photography, #poetry, #questions, #writing

The Negative Power in Force of Habit

Posted: January 12, 2018 in Opinions and Observations
Tags: #conversation, #inspiration, #life, #opinion, #people, #personal, #photography, #question, #questions, #truth, #work, #writing

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Recently I was thinking about a work incident. Not to go into details, but there were so many lessons to learn. A co-worker with some minor authority over me tried to get me to ‘sacrifice something’ so that they could ‘benefit’. There was no real reason that I could connect to this request – except that they thought they should get preferential treatment because they deserved it.

When I refused with a simple but unmistakable rejecting statement, the ‘bully’ came out. Intimidation, threatening, and harassing behavior flew rapidly in my direction.

I am a rather easy person to get along with. I do not get into gossip, rumors or status. I just want to do my job, have a little fun if I can, and go home. Sometimes that is not possible, and the occasional confrontation will creep in. If personal friction happens, I will usually smooth it over and try to let it affect me as little as possible. I would rather forget it and start fresh the next time I meet the other person. But this time I wondered about being that passive and easy-going. Was I improving things? Did it make the day or life in general better? Does it really help to let people take advantage of my flexible attitude and/or position in life?

I came to the conclusion that it did not help or improve things at all. If I let a bully succeed at threatening, intimidating and harassing me, they will take their successful strategy and slam it on the next guy or girl. As a friend of mine put it; I am more likely to speak up if someone else becomes a victim than if I do. In some way to connect to the #metoo movement without being insensitive to that real concern, I needed to find not just the ability but the benefit in raising my voice. I went to company admins and filed a formal complaint. Doing nothing and ‘rolling with the punches’ does not and should not always work. At some point I learned I needed to speak up and highlight an event that in my age I could brush off easily, knowing others might not have the ability to defend or endure the hostile environment.

Is there a reason they feel so privileged and deserving of what others are denied?

I wonder why so many people in power feel it is OK to mistreat others.

Why do they think they can get away with this kind of behavior?

Because historically: they can.

I would like to break from history and change the future.

Lyrics to “Single Desire”

Posted: January 9, 2018 in My Tunes
Tags: #audio, #blog, #inspiration, #life, #lyrics, #music, #musician, #personal, #poetry, #recording, #singer, #song, #songwriter, #studio, #truth, #writing

“Single Desire” is one of my favorite original lyrics. I think a number of my songs get too “preachy” and sound like I know all the answers. I usually don’t know all the answers, but I sure have made a lot of mistakes to learn from. Single Desire takes another path. With fewer words than many of my songs it tries to paint images using sights from our normal day to day lives. I like using the sunset comparison as sunsets are one of the most beautiful things we get to enjoy on this planet. Yet in this analogy, they can be burned permanently into our hearts and minds. Sometimes the loss of beauty is the worst experience of all.

“Single Desire”

“Single Desire” (C) MSK 1988

You left your mark upon me

Like sunsets on fire.

Plunged deep into the sea

With a Single Desire.

Always got what you wanted

Nothing worked more than your charm.

As the hunter you hunted

Without thinking of the harm.

I never let you down

“But did you really care?”

I never put you down

“You just tried to keep me there”.

Once I had to follow:

Now I walk away.

You left your mark upon me

Like sunsets on fire.

Plunged deep into the sea

With a Single Desire.

I never let you down

“But did you really care”.

I never put you down

“You just tried to keep me there”.

Truth is hard to swallow

My Single Desire

Once I had to follow.

Now I walk away.

MidiMike

Available on iTunes and CD Baby

Social Media

MSK original Songs

A Billion Snowflakes

Recovery Time

“Something To Say”

“From Start To Stop” – New Video

Music for “This Moment”

“B4 We Fell In Love”

The Not So Round Table

This Moment

The Negative Power in Force of Habit

Lyrics to “Single Desire”

Archives

Available on iTunes and CD Baby

Social Media

MSK original Songs

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