inspired one of those lovely songs that has stuck in my mind since I first heard it a quarter-century or so ago and still speaks to me deeply. When I got my very first webpage, back in 1992, its primitive content consisted entirely of a quote from this song.
I don't know who wrote it; I'm guessing one of the filk groups that performed at Shore Leave back in the mid-1980s. I can still hear their voices in my head from an old live cassette tape I made then. I transcribed the lyrics as accurately as I could long ago and repost them below with no intent to infringe copyright. They express my thoughts more eloquently than I can myself.
So, and with sympathy to Spider and in thanks to Jeanne and to all those whose diverse arts leave the world a better place and stir creativity in others...
I shall leave the earth behind and dance where I am free
To dream of greater things
I shall say good-bye to air and choreography
And dance as thought I've wings.
I'll merge myself with the infinite
And time will stretch 'til I forget
I'll dance between the night and day
'Til I've nothing more to say.
There are no words out here, only space and time
We meet and here we speak
I'll dance my life away if you will touch my mind
If sharing's what you seek.
My world is full of pain, confusion, and despair
And man must write to last
And though we're chained by weakness
Humankind will dare to reach beyond our grasp.
We reach beyond our limitations
And live beyond our skies
We can smile beyond our dangers
And if we must, we'll die.
Eternal hope is painted
In wings of silver and gold
Galactic winds shall echo
Of a human story told.
I shall leave the earth behind and dance where I am free
To dream of greater things
I'll dance between the night and day
'Til I've nothing more to say.
That was beautiful. Thank you.
In the spirit of Callahan's Bar, which Spider created and many of us made real...
"Shared pain is lessened,
shared joy increased.
Thus do we refute entropy."
Posted by: Bill G. | June 02, 2010 at 02:30 PM