Feature O’ The Day:
Widespread Panic: All Time Low
Black heart sun rides the sky
Now your eyes are running dry
Oh, like the space around me
I take my spot in time
Who knows who is both your best friend and brother
When everyone’s deserted you
Who’d shoot first and ask questions later
If anybody’s messed with you
Pretty soon we’ll all be tumblin’ like a barrel
Thrown from the top of the waterfall, well
I’m drowning in piranhas in the river
Man, what a drag, man
Black heart sun rides the sky
Now your wells are runnin’ dry
Like the space around me
I take my spot in time
Who knows who is both your best friend and brother
When everyone’s deserted you
Who’d shoot first and ask questions later
If anybody’s messed with you
Pretty soon we’ll all be tumblin’ like a barrel
Thrown from the top of the waterfall, well
I’m drowning in piranhas in the river
Man, what a drag!
Man, what a drag!
Man, what a drag!
I was talkin’ to my teacher
Said I didn’t have a clue
I think my principles are reachin’
An all time low
I saw my lady in the streetlight
She was walkin’ with her man
They were headed for the fire
That was burnin’ in the sand
I think my principles are reachin’
An all time low
I think my principles are reachin’
An all time, all time low
All time low
All time low
All time low
All time low
MAMA BIRD 
Hi Terah. I read down to seriousness and back up to an “All Time Low”, and I would like to comment. Sweet Melancholy , sweet dark syruppy melancholy I hate/love. I can weep until I’m laughing at myself and am ashamed I have no more tears. I think it is one of those “shortcuts” to God’s throne of Mercy. And speaking as a maybe not too, too neurotic fan, of Terah Van Dusen, but not all that sober either, I think that invisibility is a z.prerequisite or just a trait of a poet. When the world can see you, it doesn’t act the same. The only way you can see the wor ld as it really is, and thus write about it, I think one must needs be in some way invisible. Part of the law that says you can’t measure something without affecting what you measure. Yes, it is lonely. Maybe Heaven is where nobody is invisible anymore to anybody. I get to quote Dan Sampsel here: “That sounds scary. You go first.”. On failure and seriousness. We learn more from being wrong tan we do from being right, and more from failure that success. I will not discourage you too much though be listing great artists who dide long before their success. I prefer at least the not so great who got to see someone or millions appreciate their measure of greatness and tell them so, Is that like being an almost failure. I think it pays better anyway. Wisdom always seem to come with a mighty high price, one it is obvious you have paid or you couldn’t have written about the seriousness of life. A statement that should be heard from more pulpits more often. Thank you for reminding me and for once again your wonderful human-ness. Bye Terah .
This response is so hearty I think I’ll go ahead and call it breakfast.
David’s words and coffee, that’s more than enough this morning..oh who am I kidding I’ve been chewing on these words since last night.
You are so right about so many things! The world does act different if they know someone’s watching, of course. I feel so sorry for PHOTOGRAPHERS–their art is too damn blatant–all those flashes and clicks. I am fortunate to be a poet indeed. I would be mortified if people looked at me and smiled big cheesy grins as I wrote about them, yeah, poor, poor photographers.
Dam Sampsel. That guy’s the reason you haven’t retired yet isn’t he? “That sounds scary, you go first.” — that must be how things get done around the caves.
“artists who die long before their success?” Always had a feeling I’d die young–but I’m getting older every day. Bless those who’ve gone young, for now they are truly enlightened. I’ve never been afraid of dying, only of the pain that comes right before dying. I’m certain you have many thoughts on that subject.
So, I mean, did you like this song? Whenever I post songs on here, there are 2 things I want readers to know,
1) The song I posted spoke to me SO MUCH at the time that I HAD to post it. It’s not like, “hm what song should I post today?” It’s more like OUCH or WEEP or JUMP.
2) Turn up the volume OR ELSE! (I think so many songs are meant to be listened to loudly!)
Take care David and I will too.
Howdy Mam. What? You mean I can listen to it too? Just a minute, let me check that out. OK. Volume up, even woke the old cat. I danced but I didn’t jump and my eyes were dry. I think I prefer my lows in a minor key. Major keys are too positive for me to appreciate how worthless sloppy seratonin sequencing can make me feel. Check out Thomas Hardy’s poem, In Tenebris II, or Psalm 142.. v. 4 particularly. This song allows me to pick up my feet a little bit and nothing can ruin a good depression faster than a little hope. I am afraid that at my age and between trying to strike it rich ( my first love ) and discover the biggest cave in Oregon, I have grown more and more frugal with my earthly hopes, or maybe more focused, I don’t know. Any way, for me the juxtaposition of the major key, or maybe the dance beat, seems to trivialize the intent of the words and the result is a desensitization. Boy, I mean girl, no this is going to Eugene I mean person, am I reading too many Harper’s essay’s this winter or what? Your fan David