Seguiriya sung at dusk by the sea
The cantaor opens his ancient well
from out of the mineral depths
the flint tongue hurls sparks at the moon
a night raven rises up
to circle in the riderless sky above
beating the hoarse moon drum
with its broken wing
drumming and strumming
circling and circling
to the thumping cantered beat
he howls an unsurrendering lament
licking and fanning fatuous flames
with a busted throat
fanning and flaming
beneath the tightening circle
silver in the sky
copper on the sea
blood on the sand
And for blog friends who have never heard a seguiriya, listen below as sung by Camarón de la Isla with Ramón de Algeciras on guitar
love the progression of the song in the vid...intense poem...great imagery...will check out the prayer reqest...hope you are having a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this beautiful alert for prayer, Lorenzo. I'm keeping Ricardo in my thoughts, and am praying for his full recovery.
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful your poem is! I wonder if the photo is you or Ricardo.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard a seguiriya. The depth of emotion in it was tangible. Thanks for the introduction.
Ah, I now see it is Ricardo from his sister's blog.
ReplyDeleteI have not heard of seguiriya. But, I will not forget it once heard. Without understanding the language, I feel each urgent word and request. And, in my own way, add to the prayer. I open myself to the offering. I give what I have that is need by the recipient. I channel all the energy through me as purely as is needed. I offer myself to Ricardo's need and the God's reign.
ReplyDeleteSo it is. May I be of service to All.
Thank you from the heart my dear friend!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletexoxoxoxoxo
The girl who adores her brother
Brian, thanks for your ever friendly words and wishes. Your latest post drips venom from a coffee cup, but you are always so supportive. I am sure Isable will appreciate your kind wishes.
ReplyDeletewillow: I am sure your prayers and goog wishes will mean much to Isabel and, hopefully, to the "powers that be" ...
ReplyDeleteShe writes:
ReplyDeleteI am heartened that the seguiriya's emotion reached you. One never knows about these things. I am a flamenco lover but know it is not everyone's "cup of tea" (but it is my chalice of hemlock and wine).
I'll add info to the post to make it clear that the photo is of Ricardo — I am and remain the silly little blue elephant.
Ronda: As all of us who enjoy your blog know, everything you do, you do all out and with all of your beautiful energy.
ReplyDeleteIsabel: un abrazo — a big hug — um abraço ... in every language and in tongue-tied silence, too
ReplyDeleteBeautiful music -- interesting count of beats, Your poem has a gypsy haunting cast to it.. My heart goes out to Isabel for her brother Ricardo, so young so very handsome, my prayers are with him for a full recovery.
ReplyDeleteMy son studied flamenco guitar in college, he doesn't play very much - too busy working.
Joanny
Hi Joanny, the Dowswer's Daughter: Yes, the seguiriya is perhaps the most gitano (gypsy) of the flamenco song types. Your dowser's divining rod is accurate and knowing here ...
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful! I'm so sorry for Ricardo, and will keep him in my prayers as well. What a lovely tribute. And thank you for the introduction to the seguiriya.
ReplyDeleteWonderful music... and such a terrific poem!
ReplyDeleteTo Sue at A Brush with Color (and a palette with heart). I am sure all of these messages of support will help bolster Isabel's strength at her brother's side.
ReplyDeleteI am sure I will have more to post on flamenco music.
To Solitary Walker: Congratulations on your latest pilgrimage to Santiago, an especially challenging one with the miserable weather. Your poetic reporting throughout was really exceptional.
I will soon be discussing on this blog a different type of pilgrimage I do in Spain every spring...
Beautiful Blog!
ReplyDeleteAloha from Hawaii new Friend!
Comfort Spiral
Cloudia: Hi. Glad you dropped by. I have returned the visit to your Comfort Spiral. Beutiful blog. I am sure I will be back.
ReplyDelete"Very pleased to make your acquaintance" as people used to say
Lorenzo
ReplyDeleteThat will not always be the case -- your blog is beautiful - full of heart and soul and thought provoking words and imagery --
There will be folks - like myself who will take the time and wander through your blog from the first to the present. "Music is a healing force" Dec 2009 post
I have a lot to learn from the way you blog so eloquently-- it can only get better
Joanny
I tried leaving a comment on that post and kept getting an error message-- sorry??
Joanny: Thanks kindly. I do not know what the problem was with the comments on the December post. I do not have the author's approval feature activated for comments on recent posts, but it is activated for older ones (to make sure I do not miss them). There is a comment on that previous post by you now.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course you can always email me.
To all blog friends: I will be on the move for a couple of days and a bit out of touch I am afraid
Thanks a bunch for the link, Lorenzo.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI, too, have Ricardo in my thoughts these past days. This poem is a strengthening prayer, a song of hope, bright.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mother Zen. Nice to see you by this way. I will make it over to your the Zen of Motherhood soon.
ReplyDeleteTerresa: I know from your blog that you certainly believe in the power of kindness and the power of prayer, so let's hope they stand by Isabel and Ricardo well.
ReplyDeletethe imagery and intensity in your poem leaves me breathless. the music was beautiful, for me it was a fusion of spanish and middle-eastern sounds. thank you for posting the prayer request, i made a stop by--via you.
ReplyDeletethanks so much for the warm comment.
big smiles,
My blog roll shows you posted, but no?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and haunting as you intended it to be - and as we know now, Ricardo heard every word and is awake, eating chocolate mousse :)
ReplyDeleteI'm reading this after the San Juan tragedy. Also, today after I posted my short fiction piece about the artist who scraped her shin falling between the train and the platform, my friend Arti commented that a 3-year-old child fell into the gap today where she lives and was killed by a train. What strange occurrences in sync, with trains, and that drumming and strumming beat. The broken wing, the plaintive song, the copper and silver and blood and the busted throat. What can we do but hurl sparks at the moon? Or listen to one who does, and feel our spirits soften.
ReplyDeleteI was relieved to get to the end and find that Ricardo recovered. As Shaista said at your San Juan post, breathe in happiness, breathe out sorrow.