Travels in Time

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Music, the power of it never ceases to amaze me.

Today a song came on that took me back to a day some 45 years ago. And when I say it took me back, it was almost a visceral experience.

Let me back up a bit here.

When I was a teenager, I loved folk music (still do). The poetry of much of it just seemed to resonate with my young soul. Particularly the music and poetry of Donovan. The clean, simple music combined with the way he wove words, I can't begin to describe what an effect it had on me. I would listen to this music for hours and I still remember most of the words and phrases.

Hmmm, phrases, that's what really struck me, the way that man could turn a phrase. I knew his words so well, there were times when I would be somewhere and a line from one of his songs would pop into my head, making a memory I carry with me to this day.

One day when I was about 17, I took a drive down to Big Sur. This was one of my favorite things to do, made me feel quite bohemian and free. I had a small VW bug, the day was perfect, the windows were open and I had the music loud, filling my head. I came around a curve and saw a perfect stretch of sand just as the phrase "on the beach of no footprints" came on. I swear, it was a perfect moment. Like a thunderbolt, it imprinted on me

Today, as I was cleaning the rig, Legend of a Girl Child Linda came on and that thunderbolt hit again.

I was 17 again.
I was in that day.
I saw that beach.
I felt the sun and smelled the surf.

It brought tears to my eyes
and made my heart swell.

Does this make any sense to anyone but me?
Do you have these memories?
Fleeting moments that shape your life?

What a glorious gift.

Below are the lyrics,
but you really need to hear the music
and the phrasing . . .

Legend Of A Girl Child Linda

I will bring you gold apples
and grapes made of rubies
That have shone in the eyes
of a prince of the breeze.
Bright cascading crystals,
they danced in the sand
dunes on the beach of no footprints
to harpsichord tunes.
A throne of white ivory,
a gown of white lace
Lies still in the magic
of a timeless place.
One hundred small children,
they laugh at the white
doves that rest on their hands with
the touch of love.
On a hillside of velvet
the children they lay down
And make fun of the grown-ups
with their silly frown.
And the sound of their laughter
is the sound of the green
sea as it washed around the foot of
the seashell tree.
The doves circle over
and land in the trees
Where parrots are talking
their words with such ease.
Thus spoke three wizards
to the young ones that day:
"There's sadness in the kingdom,
make it go far away."
If you follow the sunbeams
through the valley of flowers
To the palace of the White Queen
with its white jade towers.
The youngest, she sighed then
the clouds drew away
And a hundred small fingers
scratched their heads in dismay.
From out of the sun
a giant gull came flying
And the children got ready
to sit on its wings.
They waved to the raindrops
as they soared over the trees
The wind tossed their hair high,
flashing gold on the sea.
They came to the castle
and there they did fall,
And they saw all the sadness,
through the crystal wall.
A princess lay a-sleeping
so gentle and kind
Whilst her prince took to battle
with his confused mind.
The clash of bright metal
brought the children fear,
But their cloaks of blue satin
dried up all of these tears.
Thus children held hands and
they spelled out their name
All the golden children
became a golden chain.
It lies on a white throne
in a magic place
With a tunic of velvet
and a gown of white lace.
My sword, it lies broken
and cast in a lake
In a dream I was told that
my princess would wake.

by Donovan Leitch