(written after having seen Clapton live the first time0
The echoes still ring from last night,
The alarm pulls me from too little sleep, and I rise
To face a world much brighter than the evening’s skies.
I still feel my hands clenched tight
With anticipation, watching him stride all alight.
His fingers tease the frets; he begins to improvise.
After a beat (no two), the band matches his cries,
And the music shows me the light.
Suddenly, I’m a child again on the kitchen floor,
With the stereo drowning out all other sound,
And my family is gathered round,
All of them pushing me through the door.
So, this is a poem, in incredibly raw form. I think I decided to post it just as an excuse to write the rest of this post. First, thanks to ahuween for accidentally striking gold on the inspiration for this one. It definitely helped me find words that I was lacking, even if they aren't good ones, it's a start.
Anyway, I saw Eric Clapton live in concert last night, and at the moment, I'll spare you the full concert write-up. (It's coming, but I need a day or two to process it more first.) This post is just going to be a pure emotional response, so here it goes.
The people who really know me understand how important of a thing it is for me to have seen Clapton live. His was the music I grew up on, the music I listened to in the car with my parents, or at holidays with my family, where we all took turns essentially djing and sharing our music tastes with each other. I can't begin to stress the importance of those times in my life. Of the fond memories I have of my family, those are among the clearest and the best. Clapton saw a lot of air time during those nights. In fact, I think the first time I was ever given the reigns for a gathering, I played a live version of Layla that no one else had ever come across.
I was desperate to impress my family, cause music matters to us. There are many people in my family whom I only have a relationship with because of music. And there were other artists, other songs, that we all knew, but I was young, and I found Clapton and his guitar just so entrancing in the way only a child can. I suppose I haven't really ever lost that.
Then I got older, and Clapton was always around, constantly, even as i reached adulthood, I always loved hearing the very particular whine only he seems to get on the guitar. His music has always been there. I've driven across the country to it; I had my heart broken to it; I've made friends over it; I got drunk to it; I argued over it; I've built a new life to it; I've made love to it. It is such a central part of my everyday life. And last night, I saw Clapton live. So, ya. Last night was one of the biggest of my life.
I am so exciiiiiiiiiiiited. Damn me for not having my gif folder on this computer to share with you all the adequate reactions to this news but asjiahdjkahsdjk it's ALL THE FEELS and excitement and just yay.
Also kind of looking forward to introducing my TLAT family to my DS family. I think they'd make for some epic "crossovers," hehe. We shall see.
Now I need to go dig up my old bios and graphics and all the notes I've written for characters I intended to create. Oh, this is going to be FUN!!!!
