The poetry in this piece is stellar; the voice, velvet. Arthur Prysock was truly one of a kind. Enjoy this track; words by Walter Benton published in 1949, album performed by Prysock in 1968.

the water runs blue-
the clean, cool waters that you
see in pictures
of hidden beaches
and lost islands-
the water runs blue in places that
are untouched-
the water runs blue in places that
have not been affected by an
unkind hand-
by an unthoughtful visitor-
the water runs blue when it’s allowed
to flourish-
to thrive-
alone, and without the interruption
of doubt-
no walls can contain its fervor-
no command will make it stop-
no emotion will dry its core-
the water runs blue when it’s left
alone-
but it’s properly enjoyed when it’s
respected-
cultivated-
and explored thoroughly-
it runs blue when its freedom isn’t
stifled-
it runs blue when it’s just allowed
to be*

there was a basement that i used
to sit in-
during the middle years of my
college days-
i would draw pictures and write notes
between classes-
gaze out the window-
at passing people-
at leaves rustling in the
october wind-
of robins floating along blue
february afternoons-
at the march rain as it pounded against
the glass-
i was a younger man then-
and these elements brought me
closer to those individual days-
they forced me to experience every
minute as it passed-
they allowed me to savor every
second-
when i think back, it’s almost as if
those happenings occurred in slow
motion-
there were so many-
but i realize now that it’s because
every little second was recorded-
every instance was consumed and
well spent-
because i knew then i was being pulled
by the clock-
i knew then that i was guided by its
hands-
i was a younger man then-
and those elements brought me
closer to those individual days-
those elements brought me closer
to myself*

the sun is a bright spot in our galaxy-
the brightest spot-
the one place that all other
objects inevitably face-
the all important element that the solar system
aligns itself to-
this happens naturally-
effortlessly-
no one is turning gears on jupiter-
no one is manning engines on mercury-
no one is housing positioning devices on uranus-
no one is shifting knobs on venus-
but we’re all somehow in tune with this great, shining mass-
this thing of heat and magnitude
that holds us all together-
a radiant mother housing us all in its
womb-
earth may be the golden child,
but it has many siblings-
some are close-
some distant-
some large-
some small-
some warmer than others-
but all obey the commands of that essential bright spot-
all live within the pull of its watch-
and all benefit from its meticulous persistence-
such is life-
we all follow the path set before us-
we all have our bright spots in view-
some of us are golden children among frigid, barren brethren-
others are those lifeless rocks, dreaming of distant life-
but in the end, there is always a bright spot in front of us-
maybe even behind us-
it may be so close that it burns its will into us-
or so far away that it seems impossible to reach-
but it is our job to find it-
and like the sun,
allow it to guide us to our place
of true purpose*

another notch is in my belt-
my waist is getting smaller-
because that belt is getting
tighter-
so many holes-
so many years-
i used to play with big blocks as
a kid-
those giant plastic bricks that used to
fit perfectly together-
i could stack them any way
and they’d remain sturdy-
i could build them high,
and when they fell, they fell
softly-
and i’d laugh as i rebuilt my
wall-
a sliver of the past slips away each
day-
and i’m very aware of it-
i cinch my belt each day
and examine all of the notches that
i’ve created-
all of the experiences-
all of the memories-
that seem so far away-
i try not to live in them-
but they live in me,
so it’s almost unavoidable-
my day is their day-
and my future is partly based
on their existence-
i used to play with giant bricks as
as kid-
i would build them to the sky
and admire them-
and it was never the end
of the world when they fell-
as challenging as it was to erect
my brick forts,
it was never impossible to simply
try again-
and so i did-
and so i have-
and so i will*

when you fear accomplishment, you fear success. when you fear success, you fear happiness. when you fear happiness, you fear yourself.

When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it.

To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.

If you believe yourself worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become an instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World, and you understand why you are here.

– excerpts from The Alchemist.

begin doing what you want to do now. we are not living in eternity. we have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand – and melting like a snowflake. let us use it before it is too late.

– marie beynon ray

currently working on this piece.