Jessica Latshaw

musician. writer. dancer.

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this beginning.

Posted By on September 1, 2010 in MP3, Performance, Thoughts and Feelings | 18 comments

Lately I’ve been pouring a lot of myself into something other than this blog. And I’ve felt like every part of me is all used up, telling that particular story. And that there hasn’t been much left for writing songs or sometimes even writing on here.

But then tonight I sat down and it happened. Suddenly everything came into sync and I had something to say in the form of lyrics and a melody. And see, I’ve felt so much freedom lately; I’ve felt all this shimmering light inside.

I remember when my brother Josh miraculously didn’t die or end up paralyzed, after falling from the top of a building and landing flat on his back. He said to me, “There’s something about barely escaping with your life that makes you feel like you should be doing more than watching tv and drinking a root beer.” And now, I think I get that. I really feel like I have this new and beautiful beginning that has been handed to me and man, I feel grateful.

Crazy, right?

I mean, it’s been hell, too–but now I’m not there, I’m here. And here is pretty darn good.

So I sat down and wrote these lyrics:

I don’t understand your games,
and I don’t understand how you determine who’s winning;
and I’ll never be okay with the way you cavalierly
knocked me back to the beginning.

And I lay there flat on my back,
but I opened my eyes and I saw the wide skies
above me, as if to say, “I’ll cover you kid, till you find your way.”

and I used to long for something they call retrograde;
and I used to long for the home that we had made…
but now I love this
beginning.

your words are a rabbit you pull out of a hat,
you say abracadabra, they turn into a bat
that you’re wildly swinging and I duck and you miss–
till I realize I don’t have to stay.

And I used to feel responsible for every little thing
that you recklessly did, just because of that ring–
then you gave me a gift, all wrapped up in heartache,
that said you can walk away.

(oh, and you can hear the song too, if you want)

this beginning

18 Comments

  1. Lindsay September 2, 2010

    It. is. beautiful. There is such poignant emotion in this song that reveals that you own your story. You’ve walked through hell, and you survived. You not only survived, but you came through it with an even stronger sense of self and appreciation for life. You are the one writing your story now, and it is beautiful.

    • jessica September 2, 2010

      I think that, yes, owning my own story again has been huge in the sense that it reaffirmed my sense of self. thanks so much for reminding me, Linds.

  2. Erika September 2, 2010

    :)

    That’s really all I have to say.

    • jessica September 2, 2010

      ;-)

      right back at you!

  3. Steph September 2, 2010

    Here’s ro rebirth and new life. *clink, clink*

  4. Steph September 2, 2010

    Here’s to rebirth and new life. *clink, clink*

  5. Steph September 2, 2010

    Oops! Sorry about the repost! It told me there was post made. Silly software.

    • jessica September 2, 2010

      I think that’s the kind of toast that bears repeating at least once:)

      *clink, clink*

  6. Steph September 2, 2010

    Hear, hear!

  7. josh September 2, 2010

    i am actually watching tv and drinking root beer…..

    • jessica September 2, 2010

      haha well you can’t spend ALL your time rehearsing with Alithno, now can you?!

    • jessica September 2, 2010

      thank you so much, sare:)

  8. shane September 6, 2010

    woa. i love this song. the boom-chic rhythm seems to contrast the words at the beginning of the song. then, the words at the end of the song explain why the happy feel of the music makes sense with the heavy words because the song itself is a beginning.
    i like.

    • jessica September 6, 2010

      thanks you; that means a lot:)

      • jessica September 6, 2010

        oh, that ‘s’ was intentional, I wasn’t trying to refer to you as “you.”

        • jessica September 6, 2010

          omgosh. and “intentional” I mean “UNintentional.”

  9. jessica September 6, 2010

    should be a “by” in there–but I now officially give up.

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