IT BEGAN IN THE ERA
OF REEL TO REEL
WHEN ROCKIN GOOD MUSIC
WAS SUCH A BIG DEAL,
AND PERFECTLY PLACED
ON THE WIDE OPEN
PORCH
WAS A SETUP FOR SOUND
THAT WAS PERFECTLY
BOUND
BETWEEN THOSE
TWO ENDS,
BEGINNING AT NOON
AND PLAYING AGAIN
THE MUSIC AT FIRST
WAS JAZZBO
DIVERSE,
COOL SLEEK SAXES
BLOWING IN TACT
WITH THE RHYTHM
OF MUSIC
SEXY AND SMOOTHE,
SLIDING ALONG
AND INTO THE GROOVE,
BUT THEN ONE DAY
THERE CAME
TO PLAY
A DIFFERENT KIND
OF TUNES
THE HARMONIES
AND SWEET GUITARS
THE STORIES
OF THE MOON,
THE GENIUS OF A
ROCK STAR KING
AND HIS BROTHERS
BEGAN TO SING
AND MY LIFE
CHANGED
FOREVER:
BUT THE HOTTEST
PART WAS
THE CHANGE IN
MY HEART
AS THE BEACHBOYS
REACHED WITHIN
THEY TOUCHED ME
WHERE I FELT MY SOUL
COME ALIVE AND SPIN,
IT WASN’T LIKE THE
FIRST SWEET STUFF
THE SURFER TUNES
AND ALL THAT FLUFF,
BUT A TALE OF
TRAVELS
BEGAN TO UNRAVEL
IN WILSON HARMONY,
WITH A STRONG
GREAT BEGINNING
PULSING AND
WINNING
THE NEWEST
PATH OF
THE DAY,

THEY SANG
ABOUT FEAR
AND TRAVELS
AND TEARS,
AND LANDING
SOMEWHERE
IN HOLLAND,
FINDING THEMSELVES
DEEPLY INVOLVED
IN A PROBLEM THAT
JUST HAD
TO BE SOLVED,
AND I SOON BEGAN
TO LISTEN
AND GLISTEN
IN THE WARM SUN,
TINY BIKINI
AND BAIN DE SOILE,
THE MOST PROPER
OUTFIT
TO HASTEN THE DAY,
WHILE THE MUSIC
UNFOLDED
WITH TALES
OF SAILS,
AND MYSTERIOUS
CREATURES
BECOMING SO
REAL,
THE LANDING
OF VISITORS
OVER THE SEA
IN GREAT CALIFORNIA
JUST LIKE
YOU AND ME,
AND SOON
THEY TOLD
A STORY
OF GLORY
ABOUT THE
BIG SUR,
AND THE
STRONG CONQUORER,
THE BEACHES
AND CAVES
THE FABULOUS
WAVES,
THE PEOPLE
WHO CAME
TO THE SHORE,
WITH A TENDER
SOFT ENDING
NEVER PRETENDING
TO HIDE ALL THE
LOVE
FOR A PLACE
THEY HAD
DREAMED OF
THAT BECKONED
ABOVE,
THE SHORES
OF A PLACE
THAT WOULD BECOME
MY BIG DREAM,
WRITING MY BOOKS
IN A GLORIOUS
SCHEME,
NEVER IMAGINING
ON THAT FIRST
SUNNY DAY
WHAT MY LIFE
WOULD BECOME
SAILING AWAY,
AND NOW I KNOW
IT WAS ALL MEANT
TO BE,
A SOFTLY BORN
MESSAGE
THAT WOULD SET
ME FREE:
“A REASON TO LIVE…
A REASON TO CONTINUE
A REASON TO GO ON”:
A BEAUTIFUL SONG
THAT NOW WILL BELONG
DEEP IN MY HEART,
GUIDING ME HOME,
NEVER TO PART…
SAIL ON, SAILOR!

©JW WINSLOW 8/1/2020