T

he art of listening is like the art of running; all you need is a pair of shoes, or in the case of the former, a pair of ears. Listening is virtually unquantifiable in our modern context, but it is the single-most valuable attribute to the practice of creativity. So at the risk of grossly contradicting myself even before I begin, let me welcome you with two gifts; The first is one of the cuts from my upcoming album, shortly to be released, the second is lyric from the inevitable third album, and the third is an invitation to stay tuned for the release of Solitaire. Oops, that’s three. But you weren’t really listening anyway, were you?

You Never See Angels

Listen

Sometimes I think it best to listen
Filling in the chinks we’re missing
Open mind and open heart
Just may well be the place to start
The simplest tunes from garden birds
Far exceed the power of words
And leave us in their slipstream wake
To contemplate which path to take
Sometimes it’s better not to dance
A wallflower in a game of chance
Observing words and thoughts and rhymes
To save them for another time
Meditation’s not the realm
Of new age worlds that overwhelm
Egomaniacal cessation
Might simply be the art of waiting
So listen hard and listen fast
Before the rage of life has passed
The only thing that’s ever missing’s
Understanding how to listen