Levee

Haven’t shared any Fave Tunes lately, so check out this totally cool 11th century Hurdy-Gurdy being played in this YouTube video of an old song about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.

This is Black History month, so you might want to take a minute to read about that flood. Google if you don’t like to click links. I read that and thought oh my… the living conditions in the tent cities set up for black victims of the flood was so inhumane that it is beyond comprehension.

Make America Great Again? Pick a year! Wake up people. When, pray tell, was it actually great for all Americans? Certainly not 1927. Can you find ANY era of peace, prosperity, and justice for all? The history of racist bull in this country is so horrid that I cringe if I to have to check a box next to the word “white” on anything because I don’t want to be lumped into the same category with paranoid MAGA hat wearing white supremacist types. I’ve been tempted to click the “other” box. What if we all clicked other? Black, white… those are Crayola colors. If we are going to label diverse groups of people into generic colors to simplify discrimination, why not use the whole box of 8? Trump’s orange; the main purpose for his wall is to keep brown people out. Any blue Smurfs out there?

Yeah, I hear people say, “I voted for Trump, but I’m not racist.”

I’m curious, if you bought that MAGA nonsense hook, line, and sinker. Tell me when and why. What year, time period, or era does the “again” in MAGA imply? Why do you romanticize that particular time? Then google it… do your homework, learn a little history. Was it really so great?

Sorry, I got side tracked on a soapbox.

“When the Levee Breaks” was written by Kansas Joe McCoy. If you want to hear the original sung by McCoy and his wife, Memphis Minnie, you can find it on YouTube.

The levee in the song holds back flood waters, but the first time I heard Led Zeppelin’s version, I was “going down, going down now” in my first major battle with my arch nemesis, depression. I was 14 and suicidal, too locked inside myself to ask for help. I’m still prone to depressions; learned how to recognize the symptoms so I can usually keep that bee at bay.

Cryin’ won’t help you, prayin’ won’t do you no good, when that levee breaks, mama, you got to move.

Today, it strikes a different chord. I’m keeping an eye on a levee. If it ever breaks, I’ve got to move. Now I don’t mean pack up all my stuff and throw it in a U-haul to go live someplace else. The “levee” is a situation and “move” is to take swift positive action. What that will be, I don’t know yet. I’m trying to prepare myself. I want to be able to act instead of react.

Thanks for reading.

Advertisement

CSNY Suite: Judy Blue Eyes (Fave tune)

“It’s getting to the point where I’m no fun anymore…”

One of my all time favorites, a CSNY tune, pops into my head whenever he says that I’m no fun anymore… we used to kick it with booze, laugh and have a good ol’ time… well, no shit Sherlock. I had a stroke. My new meds don’t mix with alcohol, the most I can do is sip a small glass of wine. But that’s on me, what’s stopping you?

It’s too quiet here, it’s like being in the country. You could hear a rat piss on cotton.

“Chestnut brown canary…”

Are you bored? Ready to say hey babe, I love you but I can’t deal with this?

It’s not the first time that I have casually opened the door to such a conversation with a question phrased for an easy yes or no answer, providing a non-confrontational way for him to say what may be twirling in his mind. The unspoken question still lingers in my own mind, unanswered: Are we done yet?

Next day:  Hey babe, are we planting greens?

Yeah, I’m planting salad greens… leaf lettuce, spinach, assorted baby lettuce greens…  Oh? You want mustard greens and turnip greens? Sure, why not… we can plant greens for old ladies in the towers who have already put in requests for bell peppers and green tomatoes.  Yeah… love you, too.

Today: phone rings, pocket call… I hang up and he calls right back. Hello? No response… I hear voices, but he’s not talking to me.

“What have I got to lose…”

Here’s the song without Young… it’s an old tune, been around since about Woodstock ’69 and not the best rendition, but totally cool to see old guys sing one of their old songs.

Sigh.

Dec 28

It is halfway between Christmas and New Years. I find myself avoiding social media because I’m a bit tired of the holiday cheer. Folks are still spreading joyful greetings, sharing sentimental memes, and posting photos of happy family gatherings around decorated trees.

There’s nothing wrong with all that… I just can’t get into it this year. My holiday spirit feels like a sticky marmalade of sweetness slapped onto a thick slab of day old bread, served up with grits of reality and scrambled expectations.

I’ve had Yellow Ledbetter stuck in my head for days. Here’s a version that blends in an old fave…

Maybe it’s time to add an SSRI to the pill mix. Thanks for reading.