We tire of unpredictable weather, the damp morning chill, wet socks and lost mittens. Winter keeps reminding it is not through with us.
We have suffered long enough.
The streets are tired and dirty and the time change only makes things darker in the morning.
We need a brighter view.
We need, now, the renewal that comes with spring.
03/20/2023 j.g.l.
Progress comes less from planning than participation.
Dreams and wishes require action and attention.
Start moving.
03/19/2023 j.g.l.
If we wait too long
for the stars to align, for
some kind of hope, or
some kind of sign,
if we let our lives hang on
still-bated breath, we will
forever wonder
what is still to come
or what we have left. If we
don’t own the moments,
or make them our own,
will we ever feel like
we’ve made our way home?
If we can’t be honest
with others, and especially
our selves,
can we ever explain why
or how
we once felt?
If we wait too long, it
may never arrive.
Stop waiting,
start doing,
start feeling alive.
© 2016 j.g. lewis
I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.
j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.
It has been decades since I rushed out to purchase a new Bruce Springsteen album, but I did yesterday. I caught a whiff of a couple of the tunes from Only The Strong Survive on social media over the past month and it just sounded right.
The last time I was genuinely excited about new Springsteen material was 1980’s The River. The album, still a favourite, was before the American musician’s career took off to the heights we now know it. This was before Born in the U.S.A., before mainstream radio overplayed his music to tiring proportions.
The new album is Springsteen’s pandemic project, a collection of rich soul and r+b covers from mainly ‘60s radio; songs that meant something to the man as he was just starting out.
It is delightful.
It’s, by no means, a typical Springsteen album with backing by the E Street Band, and his voice is right up front. It’s a strong voice for a 73-year-old man who understands its capacity, and its limits. It is honest and full of the character the material needs.
Most of the songs were popular on the radio in their time, but they are timeless and the entire album is well worth a listen.
11/13/2022 j.g.l.
