It could well be because it’s growing late in the evening and I’m a touch on the mentally drained side of things after spending most all of today proofreading the book. Finished four chapters today, and scared myself sensible rather than senseless when I caught a couple of whoppers when I was hyphenating a chapter I thought I had thoroughly gone through. A good reminder to be far more careful and attentive when working. But I digress.
What’s I’m stumbling toward is a couple of points I’ve pondered the past couple of days. One is how I’ve been so buried in the mechanical and technical process of prepping the book for publication I had become almost blind to a fundamental, if not the fundamental behind why I wrote it. Part of it was the process of personal healing the book both records and celebrates, something I detail in its afterword. That duly noted, a much greater part of it is the ministry the book will provide to many. I was reminded of that yesterday when a fellow Twitterer expressed interest in Nancyjo Mann’s story after I had mentioned it to her following a comment she had made about her own anti-abortion efforts. While not all of the artists in the book have life stories as intense as Mann’s, I’ve been reminded how they all very much have something to share.
The other point is I’m becoming increasing aware of how I will be facing one doozy of a ‘day after’ when the book is completed and off to the publisher. I’ve resigned myself to how there’s nothing I can do about it other than take the hit while repeating the book’s title over and over to myself as a reminder that new projects lie ahead. Still, there will be definite melancholy once I’m done. It’s only natural after something that’s consumed me for so long has reached its conclusion.
Since I’ll soon be temporarily singing the blues, thought I’d offer the most melancholy without being morose song I know, namely the achingly beautiful “Think Of Me With Kindness” by Gentle Giant from its 1972 Octopus album. Not that I’m planning on going anywhere for quite some time, but I do hope that when it’s time to consign my earthy remains to the soil someone will be kind enough to play this at my going away party. It’s either this or “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin as I’m the guest of honor at a Viking funeral complete with funeral pyre. If you’re going to go, might as well leave with a flourish.
The only video I could find for the song is nothing to look at — just the album cover — but do give the song a listen. Lyrics below.
[video http://www.diecast-dude.com/gac/gentle_giant_think_of_me_with_kindness.flv nolink]
Why am I using words, no more to say
without you
Close the door, put out the lights and go.
Late in the night, in the night your
shadow falls between us.
Nevermore, never know.
There, memories are sorrow,
When there’s no tomorrow.
Sleep while the sweet sorrow wakes
my daydream;
Sleep while you think of me with
kindness, please remember former
days.
Sweet the song that once we sang, the
silent parting ways.
And you know, and you know,
And you know, long ago when first we
made our promise -
Empty words, I wonder did you know -
The laugh that love could not forgive,
Is gone and tells no more to live,
And we who look in beauty’s love;
Must now, through all, look back on
before -
The tears that I first cried, no more;
Your love has come and gone, no more.
And we who look in beauty’s love
Must now through all think back
on before.
Sleep while the sweet sorrow wakes my
daydream
Sleep while you think of me with
kindness, please remember former
days.
And you know, and you know.
And you know, when we two parted in
tears
and silence
past the days, the parting ways.
Fare thee well, fare thee well, you
that was once dear to me.
Think of me with kindness
Think of me.
