July 1, 2008
A pod waiting for a place to happen
…listen
…about the musicA world of magic just beyond your toes.
Shortly prior to calling this piece of floating rock “home,” I visited the particular spot pictured above. This very table, as I recall. It’s on the west side of the island and is located in a state park known best of all for being a great whale watching vantage point.
On the quick path to the sea, I remember passing a simple sign that officially informed, “Whale Watching,” adding a directional arrow for emphasis. Why anyone would look for a whale in a direction other than the water is a mystery to me, but the nice people who run these parks are nothing if not thorough.
You see signs like this all the time, and think of them more like a pleasant idea rather than a declaration of fact. I walked a few yards past the sign to this table, looked up, and lo and behold, right on cue for their cameo montage segment right out of an Esther Williams movie, were about 18 Orca whales close to the shore. Truth in advertising. First shot outta the box.
I have yet to repeat that experience. With or without cetaceans, this is a gorgeous spot and I seem to end up here with virtually every island visitor I’ve had, which is becoming a mounting number. Not one other time have I seen so much as a sea slug, let alone a whale. But it doesn’t matter. The Orca pods move around, I move around, and sooner or later we will all find ourselves facing each other once more on a shoreline. I will be enthralled. They will not care in the least. As it should be.
Glenn Buttkus said,
July 2, 2008 @ 5:39 am
Great shot, great memories. I found some poetic nuggets within, of course:
Whale Watching
Shortly prior
to calling this piece
of floating rock
“home,â€
I visited the west side
of the island,
to a state park
known for being
a great whale watching
vantage point.
On the quick path
to the sea,
I remember passing
a simple sign
that officially informed,
“Whale Watching,â€
adding a directional arrow
for emphasis.
You see signs like this
all the time,
and think of them more
like a pleasant idea
rather than
a declaration of fact.
I walked a few yards
past the sign
to a table,
looked up,
and lo and behold,
right on cue
for their cameo montage segment
right out of an Esther Williams movie,
were about 18 Orca whales
close to the shore.
Truth in advertising.
First shot outta the box.
I have yet
to repeat that experience.
With or without cetaceans,
yet this is a gorgeous spot
and I seem to end up here
with virtually
every island visitor I’ve had.
Not one other time
have I seen
so much as a sea slug,
let alone a whale.
But it doesn’t matter.
The Orca pods move around,
I move around,
and sooner or later,
we will all find ourselves
facing each other
once more
on a shoreline.
I will be enthralled.
They will not care in the least.
As it should be.
Alex Shapiro July 2008
Your musical clip was wonderful, as always. Please identify the singer, and the lyricist. I love this song, and could only pick out some of the terrific lines and lyrics. Things like:
Under the crash of angry tide,
a world of magic just beyond your toes.
There’s a prize that waits for you;
just like your heart on mine,
clinging to the rocks of hope at times,
will bring you love.
Hiding from your view,
but if you know where to look,
past the drummer on the surface;
the ocean is a mirror of your soul,
the sky is an open door.
The hours turn to days,
you turn around
and there’s your life.
Perhaps you can print the actual lyrics for us too. I love it/them!
Glenn
Alex Shapiro said,
July 2, 2008 @ 9:27 am
Thanks for your kind words about the song, Glenn. It’s a demo I did a number of years ago and I’m planning on re-recording it soon. You are very close on the lyrics– here they are. I’m looking out my window and while I see no drummers on the surface of the ocean, there is indeed always drama!
EACH STAR
©1999 Alex Shapiro (ASCAP)
Under a canopy of fog
Under the watchful eyes of foxes and coyotes
You make your way back home
It’s been a long and crazy week
You wonder what it is that keeps you on this road
You wonder why you feel alone
Each star in the night shines above to let you know
Your heart really will get it right
It seems so far from sight to think that soon the sky will glow
With light that will fill the dark as brightly as each star
Under the crash of angry tides
Lies a world of magic just beyond your toes
It’s hiding from your view
But if you know just where to look
Past the drama of the surface to the calm below
There’s a prize that waits for you
Each star in the sea holds on tight because it knows
The waves bring it just what it needs
Just like your heart on the line, clinging to the rocks of hope
That time will bring you love
So the hours turn to days that turn to questions
You turn around and there’s your life
Sometimes the most colorful of answers
Are safely hidden on the inside
And the ocean is a mirror for your soul
And the sky’s an open door
Just remember that the overwhelming tides
Bring cool water that will soothe your burning shore
It’s because your heart’s so deep
That you keep on heading down this endless path
Sometimes it makes you cry
But every rock you look beneath
Brings you closer to the treasures that you’ve always had
They never left your side
Each star in the night shines above to let you know
Your heart really will get it right
It seems so far from sight to think that soon the sky will glow with light
And your sun will rise
And you will know
And your heart will shine
As brightly as each star
Glenn Buttkus said,
July 3, 2008 @ 4:51 am
You should re-record it soon. It is a great ballad, and the lyrics hum with passion and vibrant insights. You are such a romantic, yet you get your teeth into the blues, and can belt out a ballad with the best of them. I posted the lyrics on FFTR. Thanks for sharing.
Glenn