poetry – The art of musical poetry

Silage

Wandering through the foggy woodland
breathing the musty sods
twilight is upon us
skulking through murky, moldy dunes

A bridge is upon us,
filled by webs and fueled by decay
creakingly pivoting,
summoned by the dark, looming loch

Walking through the unstable path,
fixed upon the scrutiny of the unknown
-the fae beckons-
as you slowly gather up the storm

Walk, and walk you must
through the darkness you shall pass
until the shire comes at last
until your truth unfolds
until the embers dim to you

A flurry of wind…

June 28, 2014June 28, 2014 by Boricua In the Midwest - Jose Clavell, posted in Musical Poetry, Poetry, Poetry/ Literature

Collapse the mirrors of your soul
walk through the valley and inhale…

Recite the numbers in your head
walk through the pastures, but wait…

Cliffs of Varengeville - Claude Monet — Cliffs of Varengeville – Claude Monet

A wind flurry is stirring ahead
feel nature at its best
recite the numbers out loud
– one, two, three- I’ve found
a gust of wind caressing my skin
as the valley closes and I, breath

At the edge you’ll find
tension rising
catharsis releasing
wind billowing, stirring, and whirling

If you step off,
the wind will embrace you,
inhibitions will falter and
peace remains

-MP

For future Remembrance

June 25, 2014May 31, 2015 by Boricua In the Midwest - Jose Clavell, posted in Musical Poetry, Poetry, Poetry/ Literature

The wind, as time, does not pause
nor the sky
or the stars

As summer falls to autumn
you travel
through chapters,
through life

For future remembrance
think not of what challenges come your way,
in the pebbles in your path
in the troubles of the past

but

Think of the victories, and
ponder on the possibilities
the gamble of your play
contemplate on the adventures, and
lessons that’ll come your way

Anticipate the success,
the possible loss
the love
the heartbreak

Child,
For future remembrance
anticipate… life

The singing tattoo

June 14, 2014June 14, 2014 by Boricua In the Midwest - Jose Clavell, posted in Poetry, Poetry/ Literature

The verses tattooed on your soul
captive in your piercing gaze
let them be
let them free
let them fly
let them soar

The song of your life
a prisoner of the war
-the turmoil boiling in you-
let it breathe
let it sing
let it perform
let it live
-MP

A classic poem takes a new (musical) flight

June 3, 2014June 3, 2014 by Boricua In the Midwest - Jose Clavell, posted in Choral Conducting, Choral Music, gradschool, Masters in Music, Musical Poetry, Poetry/ Literature

A dear friend of mine, who shall remain in anonymity, once showed me e.e. cummings’ i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart). As clichéd as it sounds, I loved it. In the course of this past semester, I enrolled in a composition class. In this class put my big boy pants, and I set this poem to music. It was an uphill battle (choosing the singers, rehearsal time) in short, a battle. I won the battle and the war! Here is the finished product, while not perfect, it is pretty darn close. I hope this a start of a new, complementary chapter in my life.

If you want to commission me for a choral piece, do not hesitate in doing so! Without further ado, i carry your heart with me (i carry it my heart).

Text:

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Singers:

Sopranos:

Alison Huntley
Lydia Lewis
Mariah Chapdelaine
Elizabeth Peregrine

Altos:

Carolee Stark
Abiagil Landau
Jessica Moore
Jazmine Hamilton

Tenors:

Tyler Hast
Thomas Heise
Arturo Martinez
Eric Mohlis

Basses:

Johnnie Campbell
Ethan Q. Ivey
Jordan DePatis
Jack Dessent

José Clavell, conductor

Believe, I shall…

January 2, 2014 by Boricua In the Midwest - Jose Clavell, posted in Choir Music, Choral Music, Musical, Poetry/ Literature

I believe in the sun, and the warm it exudes.
I believe in the moon, the stars, and space.
In the sound of the wind against my face.
The chill of winter on a morning’s breath

I believe in the heart, emotions palpitating…
In the sea and its temperament
I believe in starting clean, and the opportunities it can bring.
In children’s smile on Christmas day

I believe in the fall, the grace in nature’s death

I believe in the spring, the phoenix’s birth
In the meadow, the forest,
the burning heats of men…

I believe in the cloud terrain after the kiss of rain
the shadows if a flamboyan tree under it’s rest
I believe in the torments that life brings
in the act of weeping, the mourning of a death

I believe in the sun, and the warm it exudes
I believe in the crater of the moon,
in the rouge meteors that scar the sky
I believe in the frigid winter winds against my skin
freezing my bones, and frosting my soul

But most importantly
I believe in you…

Author’s Notes: Here you have my first poem of 2014. I was inspired by the Composer Ola Gjeilo’s “Across the vast eternal Sky”. Something I have learned about life in the last couple of months is that we should never stop believing… I hope you enjoy. Happy New Year!

-Musical Poetry

i thank you God for this most amazing day

January 1, 2014 by Boricua In the Midwest - Jose Clavell, posted in Musical, Musical Poetry

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any–lifted from the no
of all nothing–human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

e.e. cummings
1894-1962