Where the Road Meets the Sea

[rick green]

This is actually a song. The asterisks represent changes in the music. The idea grew out of a conversation I had with my brother last year. At one point I asked what he believed in. He said he believed in death.
"Well sure," I thought, "but what else!?" I mean why stop there?
The road and the sea represent two completely different forms of being, or of being and non-being as the case may be. You can hear me fumble through the song here if you want. I still haven't got the hang of the second part.

Where the Road Meets the Sea


1. The Traveler Meets Death

As I was walking down the road
The sun was rising in the East,
The moon was setting in the West
And all the world was blest

I saw a figure up ahead
Dressed all in black from head to toe-
Face white as snow, with icy breath
He said his name was Death.


I said, "Hail fellow, well met!
Won't you walk with me a while?"
Death smiled and then he replied,
"I'm always right by your side.

"And should you walk to earth's end
And launch yourself into the void
You'd not escape me, dear boy,
For all the world is my toy."

* *** *

Down at the end of the road
A wall made of shadows
Ashes and dust in the air
Soon we will meet there

Is there a door in the wall,
Or do I imagine?
I found a key made of gold,
But is the key too old?

* *** *

And all the land and all the roads
And all the rivers running free
And all the raindrops falling soft
They find their end in the sea.

2. The Traveler Replies to Death

“O, Death your pride’s out of place
One day you’ll still the last breath
And then expire with a sigh:
With the last life, Death’ll die.

What then, dear Death lies beyond?
Perhaps there’s nothing just a void.
Or else destroyed though body be
There’ll still be much more to see.

The fact is that we don’t know
Which means we’re free to improvise.
A paradise of our choice,”
I said with glee in my voice.

Then we were silent a while
And down the road our way did wend
Until we came to the end
And gazed out over the sea.

* *** *

Down at the end of the road
A wall made of shadows
Ashes and dust in the air
Soon we will meet there

I put the key in the door
Turn and it opens.
Stepping outside of the mind
I wonder what we’ll find?

* *** *

And all the land and all the roads
And all the rivers running free
And all the raindrops falling soft
They find their end in the sea.

[John Self]

You should set this to music, rick!

EDIT: This seems like a pointless comment now that rick has confirmed above it already is a song...

[rick green]

Heheh. I just wrote the second part. Now it's finished, so I figured I'd post it up.

[Noumenon]

You have a talent there, and some courage too - I've not sung in public (or a public forum!) in years. I've tried writing lyrics but unlike yourself I can't play an instrument * so I'm not sure how well they work. I just wondered...

Originally Posted by rick green

Then we were silent a while
And down the road our way did wend
Until we came to the end
And gazed out over the sea.

And all the land and all the roads
And all the rivers running free
And all the raindrops falling soft
They find their end in the sea.

...is there a reason why you change your rhyme scheme for these verses? The second of the above is repeated at the end of each part, so that could be reason enough. But the other didn't seem to have a duplicate.

*Apart from my Heroic Guitar, of course.

[kaninaki]

Enjoyed listening to this, rick! Cool tune.

[rick green]

Thanks.
As for rhyme, I think it's more important in written poetry than in song. Which raises the question... should I have posted this at all? Oh well.

[Noumenon]

I think you should have! This little bit of Palimpsest is what drew me in in the first place. Viva variety.

PS: Although I think you're insane regarding non-rhyming songs.