#writing #poem | MidiMike

Posts Tagged ‘#writing #poem’

“None of the Above”

Posted: July 3, 2020 in My Tunes, Poetry
Tags: #love, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #relationships, #songwriter, #writing #poem, poem, poet

I found this poem in my archives that I wrote on June 26th, 2016 and I would like to share it with you.

I have a pretty long list
Of all the things I love
I can do any of them with you
Or, if you prefer, none of the above.

Family, friends, writing music, singing songs
Winter walks, coming home, sky full of stars.
Solving problems, helping strangers, reading a book
Practicing yoga, sometimes riding my bike too long.

Learning something new, teaching what I’ve learned
Laughing at jokes, sharing good food, colorful sunsets
Writing on my blog, sharing a story, liking a post
Being silly, going for a swim, getting praise that I earned.

With you I can do anything
And add it to the list of things I love
With you I can do anything
Or, if you prefer, none of the above.

Cuddle and watch a movie, listening to you breathe at night
Playing games no matter who wins, a weekend unplugged
Hearing from co-workers, dancing like a fool, laying in the snow
There are so many other things I’ve added to my list tonight.

With you I can do anything
And add it to the list of things I love
With you I can do anything
Or, if you prefer, none of the above.

“Not Now”

Posted: June 1, 2020 in My Tunes, Poetry, projects
Tags: #midimike, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #tech, #technology, #writing #poem, lyrics, Michael S Kennedy, MIDI Mike, original music, poem, songwriting

I have been working with a few friends to set up on-line jamming from separate locations. I will go into this a bit later for anyone interested. I did spend some time on-line with a program for live sessions. During my testing I had a bit of a wait time so I noodled around on my guitar. While waiting I used a record feature in the program and captured a few segments of my noodling that I liked. It required a name in order to save and in the mood I was in I called it Not Now.

As you know I am not good with names – of any kind – and my song titles usually show that weakness. So now that I had a name for the music pieces, I had to write lyrics sooner or later and was stuck with Not Now as the title!

I finished the basic music tracks in a couple days. Listening to the arrangement I got out my writing tools and came up with the following lyrics. I will smooth out the music and post sooner or later. Here is “Not Now”:

I really can’t wait
For you and this weekend.
Seems like forever
Since we had a minute alone.
No more than a boy
Paralyzed in an ice cream store.
Or that time I cried…..
Until we had to leave the zoo.

Not Now.
I’ve heard it all my life.
Not Now.
Don’t want to hear it again.
Not Now.
It can’t be now, it won’t be then
Not Now.

So many situations
I can’t come close to understand.
More and more people
Have nothing else to say to me.

Not Now.
I’ve heard it all my life.
Not Now.
Don’t want to hear it again.
Not Now.
It can’t be now, it won’t be then
Not Now.

Still
I don’t complain.
Everything I have
I can give away.
Hello
Tell me your name.
You make me smile
Hope I can do the same.
Ask
I do it all day.
It really doesn’t matter
Or what time of day. Still
I don’t complain.
Everything I have
I can give away.

“Back To Earth”

Posted: December 6, 2019 in Poetry
Tags: #family, #life, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #resolutions, #writing #poem, Earth, faith, MIDI Mike, MSK, original music, religion

Sunset in Pleasant Ridge Ohio
The ‘leaves’ on the left tree are actually birds.

Playing in the snow

Or climbing in the trees

Not sure which is the more

Important of these.

Siblings came but soon

The family was gone.

Hard to know what pain

Would be felt later on.

Safe and secure I

Always knew I was loved.

Learned hard lessons ’cause

I pulled instead of shoved.

Everything is everyone

Everyone is everything.

We all start the journey

From the place of our birth

But going to heaven or hell

Just brings us back to Earth.

Singing and writing

Playing in a great band

Gave me more than life

I hope you understand.

Truth may be out there

But answers never are.

That was the last time I prayed

Or wished upon a star.

We all start the journey

From the place of our birth

But going to heaven or hell

Just brings us back to Earth.

The day my kids were born

I was fundamentally changed.

Nothing I wouldn’t do

So life could be arranged

That’s another thing

That didn’t work as planned.

It ripped away everything

I still hope you understand.

We all start the journey

From the place of our birth

But going to heaven or hell

Simply brings us back to Earth.

Depression is a friend

Feeding on personal loss.

I’m told it comes down to “42”

But sure their fingers were crossed.

From here nothing matters

Save friendship, love and trust.

What more could you possibly need

When everything turns to dust?

What more could you possibly need

When everything turns to dust?

“Tired” A Retired Point Of View

Posted: July 12, 2019 in My Tunes
Tags: #acoustic, #acoustic guitars, #harmonies, #harmony, #keyboard, #lyrics, #melody, #mixingboard, #original songs, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #writing #poem, acoustic guitar, clown, expectations, humor, keyboards, Martin Guitars, Michael S Kennedy, MIDI controller, MIDI drums, multi track recording, original music, originals, retirees, retirement, tired

I hope you get a laugh from my latest song, “Tired”. It definitely has a ‘senior point of view’. I thought of naming it “Retired”, but this seemed to fit better.

I posted as a poem but once I put it to music and the song arrangement came together I had to make cuts and edits. I will post the new lyrics here for convenience.

        “Tired”                     © MSK 6-9-2019

 I’ve been thinking all day of when I get you home
 After everyone has gone          we’re finally alone
 Like a good dog I’m gonn’a give you a bone.

 I’ve heard his mouth running all over town
 Talking shit about me and calling me a clown
 I’m headed over there now to put him down.

      Hold that thought 
      ‘Til I get back
      I’m feeling rather tired 
      And it’s time for a nap.

           Think I better
                       Slow it down.

 Rewarded or punished for decisions we make
 Climbing this mountain is a piece of cake
 Just another day or so beyond the lake.
 
      Hold that thought ‘til I get back
      I’m feeling rather tired 
      And it’s time for a nap.

     Dream what you remember     
         Remember what you dream.     
         After all    these years      
         It’s almost the same thing

 I bought three books and can’t wait to start
 Two of them are very close to my heart.
 I’ll read them all tonight, then put more in my cart.

 I’ve been thinking all day of when I get you home
 After everyone has gone         we’re finally alone.
 Like a good dog I’m gonn’a give you a bone.

      Hold that thought ‘til I get back
      I’m feeling rather tired and it’s time for a nap.
      Hold that thought ‘til I get back
      I’m feeling rather tired and it’s time for a nap.

With lyrics in hand, I mapped it out to a drum arrangement I already had. No other instruments….. While I fit the lyrics to the drum arrangement the melody immediately fell in my lap. It is backwards for me to have a melody first. Usually I write the melody listening to the chords. This is like reverse-engineering if you know what I mean!

This was not a simple fit, so the drums also had to be edited and changed for the rhythm of guitar and vocals. The drums are not finished and need a lot of work to smooth out grooves here and there, but it is solid enough to work with for now.

I don’t practice or play for hours a day anymore. I rarely play for more than is necessary to record my demo songs. It can take me a while to play the guitar (and keyboard) parts I need for new songs. Everything is slowing down after 65!

I played a Martin acoustic/electric guitar with no overdubs or additional guitar tracks. The bass guitar is added using my MIDI keyboard and a computer plug-in sample-player for a great sound. I added some playful vocal harmonies and that was it. Arrangement done, it will take me a couple weeks to clean up the tracks and do a mix. Or maybe a bit longer than usual now that I think about it!

“Tired”

Posted: June 14, 2019 in Poetry
Tags: #fans, #life, #love, #lyrics, #personal, #perspective, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #writing #poem, #Yamaha, Adobe Premier, aging, crowds, dancing, Korg, music lovers, relationships, retirees, retirement, songwriting

I’ve been thinking all day of when I get you home
After everyone has gone and we’re finally alone.
Like a good dog I’m gonn’a give you a bone.

I hear his mouth running all over town
Talking shit and calling me a clown.
I am headed over there now to put him down.

But I’m feeling rather tired
And it’s time for a nap.
It’s been years since I retired
And it’s time for a nap.

Rewarded or punished for decisions we make
Climbing this mountain is a piece of cake.
Just another day or so beyond the lake.

Dream what you remember
Remember what you dream.
After all these years I found out
It’s just about the same thing.

I bought three books and can’t wait to start
Two of them are very close to my heart.
I’ll read them all tonight, then put more in my cart.

I’ve been thinking all day of when I get you home
After everyone has gone and we’re finally alone.
Like a good dog I’m gonn’a give you a bone.

But I’m feeling rather tired
And it’s time for a nap.
It’s been years since I retired Sleepy from my morning snack.
You can see I’m rather tired
And it’s time for my nap!

Step Outside

Posted: February 6, 2019 in Poetry
Tags: #lessons, #life, #lyrics, #personal, #poetry, #songwriter, #story, #writing #poem, introspective, lyric, perspective change

I just realized what a dipshit I am. Don’t know exactly when it began But it certainly wasn’t part of my plan.

I understand how condescending I’ve become. Thinking I’m the only one that gets things done. You can’t be productive if you are having fun.

Step Outside yourself for just five minutes. That’s all it takes to know who you are. Step Outside yourself: I can show you how. You really don’t have to go very far.

I know, ’cause I can hear what you’re thinking. Everyone loves me so why all the cursing? I hate the thought of endless reversing.

Step Outside yourself for just five minutes That’s all it takes to know who you are. Step Outside yourself: I can show you how, You really don’t have to go very far.

Step Outside and pay attention. It’s not like the rest of the world needs your attention. It takes a little effort and not much time. Come on out, the answer is in the rhyme.

Give me a minute And if you look at you The way I look at me We can Step Outside together.

Step Outside yourself for just five minutes. That’s all it takes to know who you are. Step Outside yourself: I can show you how. You really don’t have to go very far.

I just realized what a dipshit I am. Don’t know exactly when it began But it certainly wasn’t part of my plan.

Mona Lisa’s Smile

Posted: March 7, 2017 in Poetry
Tags: #blog, #family, #inspiration, #life, #love, #personal, #poetry, #writing #poem

Couples

I’m not sure how many were born

But only a hundred of them have survived.

Hard to recreate, no need to mourn

Yet every once in a while the pages come alive.

The topics and memories unclear

Faces of friends in shadows now far away.

A million smiles hide the occasional tear

Precious experiences to live another day.

More poetic than the lyrics to my favorite song

Still I can only sit by and watch them fade.

As my heart breaks, it leaps once again

Deeper than the day they were made.

People only live for a short while

Unlike paintings of flowers or Mona Lisa’s Smile.

How complicated can it really be?

I only wanted you to spend your life with me.

One hundred and one now as I reflect

When language and all my fancy words have failed.

Singing songs rich in harmonies

Thoughts, desires and emotions all too thinly vailed

People only live for a short while

Unlike paintings of flowers or Mona Lisa’s Smile.

How complicated does it have to be?

I only want you to spend your life with me.

MidiMike

Available on iTunes and CD Baby

Social Media

MSK original Songs

Posts Tagged ‘#writing #poem’

“None of the Above”

“Not Now”

“Back To Earth”

“Tired” A Retired Point Of View

“Tired”

Step Outside

Mona Lisa’s Smile

Archives

Available on iTunes and CD Baby

Social Media

MSK original Songs

Posts Tagged ‘#writing #poem’

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