January though not quite gone will for this last week lack a little laughter and son as we faced the final curtain last night. The Claremorris Musical Society Anything goes came and went on a wet and windy Saturday evening in the Town Hall of Claremorris. We worked and partied hard last night and I slunk home after 5 in the morning yawning copiously but woke content after a melodious nigh in the company of many strange voices on familiar faces. It funny what a bit of helium can do to a talented Tenor just a little bit tipsy. Music and dance brought out the gypsy in many last night and after the last few days it was great to see so many ladies letting their hair down literally. The Chinese convert in me kept me sober while a rather saucy lady in red reminded me of a bruise I accidentally inflicted when I karate kicked her on the shin many moons ago on the night I became her Romeio. Last night she once again serenaded me from the ship's balcony. Unfortunately along with many other paying customers, the fluzzy! Married now to another Johnny,  alas that ship has sailed but at least I loved you when you were sweet sixteen and we parted with such sweet sorrow that there were no regrets for tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. 

“Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Another Scottish Lady regained me with her philosophy on life and though she may be as cursed as me when it comes to matrimony, she is always bright and bonny, singing hey nanny, noon.

Sigh No More: sigh no more no more, one foot in sea one on shore, my heart was never pure, and you know me, and you know me.

Balthasar sung it differently:

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more,

 Men were deceivers ever,

 One foot in sea and one on shore,

 To one thing constant never.

 Then sigh not so, but let them go,

 And be you blithe and bonny,

 Converting all your sounds of woe

 Into Hey, nonny nonny.

 Sing no more ditties, sing no mo

 Of dumps so dull and heavy.

 The fraud of men was ever so,

 Since summer first was leavy.

 Then sigh not so, but let them go

 And be you blithe and bonny,

 Converting all your sounds of woe

 Into Hey, nonny nonny.

"I'm amazed that a man, after watching romance turn another man into a fool and laughing at that man, can turn right around and become the thing he’s scorned. That’s the kind of man Billy Crocker is. I knew him when he listened to nothing but the military drum and fife; now he would rather hear the sweet and refined music of the tabor and pipe. I knew him when he would’ve walked ten miles to see a well-crafted suit of armor; now he spends ten nights awake in his room designing himself a fancy new jacket. He used to speak plainly and to the point, like an honorable man and soldier; now his speech is elaborate and flowery. His words are like a miraculous banquet, full of strange new dishes. Will I be changed like that, and see the world through a lover’s eyes? I’m not sure, but I don’t think so."

I spoke and thought like Benedict did having loved my Beatrice, like Dante did once but hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and now some speaks poniards:

That a woman conceived me, I thank her. That she brought

me up, I likewise give her most humble thanks. But that I

will have a recheat winded in my forehead or hang my bugle

in an invisible baldrick, all women shall pardon me.

Because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will

do myself the right to trust none. And the fine is, for the

which I may go the finer, I will live a bachelor.

But better to have lost in love than never loved at all. Strange that I should have heard these words uttered by the oldest and youngest of the men in whose gallant company I sallied forth last night only to be enchanted once again by the beauty of the angels who danced and sang with such unabashed generosity.

Truly you are poetry in motion and I will be horribly in love if ever one of you should be foolish enough to give me hope. Not that Hope I hope some other kind of hope.

I will not be sworn but love may transform me to an oyster,

but I’ll take my oath on it, till he have made an oyster of me,

he shall never make me such a fool. One woman is fair, yet

I am well; another is wise, yet I am well; another virtuous,

yet I am well; but till all graces be in one woman, one

woman shall not come in my grace. Rich she shall be, that’s

certain; wise, or I’ll none; virtuous, or I’ll never cheapen

her; fair, or I’ll ever look on her; mild, or come not near

me; noble, or not I for an angel; of good discourse, an

excellent musician, and her hair shall be of what color it

please God.

You see before you a man enchanted by an English accent and poetry

I don’t want to live in the shadows anymore

I’m tired of being cool in the shade

I want to feel the burning passion of the sun

Of you my gold locked one

I want passion not pretence

I want truth not half truths

I don’t want to read between the lines

I want to see something as simple as a smile upon your face

That causes in me a state of grace

Where silence speaks

Where I have peace of mind

Where I don’t feel like a blind man

Wandering in the dark

With the scent of some flower or woman

You’ve given me something no other Lady has and the last one I loved took a way,

my desire to write and play 

This courting game and suffer the bittersweet pain

Of unrequited passion and restrain.

no, no, that won't do. It's too....

What compels me to put feelings into words that are easier spoken?

A flower, a love token, all this I can do

Though not yet for you.

Though you delight yet you frighten me

And despite my love for thee tamed I cannot be.

Yet there is always a price to pay

For not having the courage to say

I love you.

Pure and simple like my smile

Which waits a while to reveal its splendor

In case like words too crude it should offend her.

But if the truth be known these shall remain words unspoken

For a heart that has been broken takes time to mend.

So this I may never say or send until my trust in thee has grown

And then with eyes and mouth wide open

I’ll let you take my hand and guide me through this untamed land.

More worthy of the Bard surely but alack, alack, too much self-pity

Perhaps this then when I learn to sing and share the sound of music in your company again

I will be your Sun

Wake up everyone

Wipe away your fears

Make rainbows from your tears

I will be your sun

My darling little one

Say goodbye to sorrow

Sunny day tomorrow

I will be your sun

Though I shine for everyone

When that sky is blue

I’m saying I love you

I will be your sun

Love you like no one

Clouds will fade away

But the sun is here to stay

Forget those rainy days

Lost in misty haze

For now the sky is blue

And I’m still in love with you

I will be your sun

Love you like no one

For the light that shines from me

Is for all eternity

I will be your sun

My darling little one

All you have to do

Is say I love you

And I will be your sun