I started a new substack! Keys and Words. Please join me. I’m not closing out this site but I do feel that the ongoing story of my midlife chrysalis has come to an end, and now I’m just figuring my way in my new form. As my coach put it today, “you’re a tired butterfly.”
I learned the ukelele/Somewhere Over the Rainbow one bummed day in December and it made me so happy. And then one day this month I decided to write some modified lyrics, with the idea (artist interpretation alert) that the rainbow was my coming out and now “I’m”* a bit after the rainbow. My uke skills are rudimentary but I wanted to sing/play it myself, and of course, one of my values is to not be afraid of mistakes, to embrace trying new things, especially when they are things you’ve wanted to do for a long time. So thank you for listening.
And here are my modified lyrics, written in poetry form (and thanks to the Yale Women Poetry Group for comments/support on my first draft!).
After The Rainbow (riff off Over the Rainbow, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole)
Sometime after the rainbow lost my high and the loves that I dreamed of vanished before my eyes. Sometime after the rainbow wept all night lost the loves that I dreamed of blew out my joy and light. Today I wished upon a star the sun and rain won’t be so far, and they’ll find me My hope won’t die I love the sky Chase the dream won’t let it die and I’m still me Sometime after the rainbow said goodbye I will grow til the next love my joy and my light can’t die Today I wished upon a star the sun and rain won’t be so far and they’ll find me My hope won’t die I love the sky Chase the dream won’t let it die and I’m still me Sometime after the rainbow said goodbye I will grow til the next love my light and my love can’t die
*I felt liberty with song lyrics not to be telling my story moment by moment. Not that anything I write here is ever meant to be a factual recounting.
