Inspiration for the Muse

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Inspiration for the Muse

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A place for music, poetry, quotes and general inspiration for characters.
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Josette Wheeler
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Re: Inspiration for the Muse

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"For The Days I Stop Wanting A Body"

Imagine when a human dies the soul misses the body
Actually grieves the loss of its hands
And all they could hold
Misses the throat closing shy
Reading out loud on the first day of school

Imagine the soul misses the stubbed toe
The loose tooth
The funny bone
The soul still asks
“Why does the funny bone do that?
It’s just weird.”

Imagine the soul misses the thirsty garden cheeks
Watered by grief
Misses how the body could sleep through a dream
What else can sleep through a dream
What else can laugh
What else can wrinkle the smile’s autograph

Imagine the soul misses each falling eyelash
Waiting to be wished
Misses the wrist screaming away the blade
The soul misses the lisp
The stutter
The limp
The soul misses the holy bruise
Blue from that army of blood rushing to the wound’s side

When a human dies
The soul searches the universe for something blushing
Something shaking in the cold
Something that scars
Sweeps the universe for patience worn thin
The last nerve fighting for its life
The voice box aching to be heard

The soul misses the way the body would hold another body
And not be two bodies but one pleading God doubled in grace
The soul misses how the mind told the body
"You have fallen from grace."
And the body said, "Erase every scripture that doesn’t have a pulse
There isn’t a single page in the Bible that can wince
That can clumsy
That can freckle
That can hunger."

Imagine the soul misses hunger
Emptiness
Rage
The fist that was never taught to curl, curls
The teeth that were never taught to clench, clench
The body that was never taught to make love, makes love
Like a hungry ghost digging its way out of the grave

The soul misses the un-forever of old age
The skin that no longer fits
The soul misses every single day the body was sick
The now it forced
The here it built from the fever
Fever is how the body prays
How it burns and begs for another average day

The soul misses the legs creaking up the stairs
Misses the fear that climbed up the vocal chords
To curse the wheelchair
The soul misses what the body could not let go
What else could hold on that tightly to everything
What else could hear the chain of a swing set and fall to its knees
What else could touch a screen door and taste lemonade

What else could come back from a war and not come back
But still try to live
Still try to lullaby

When a human dies the soul moves through the universe
Trying to describe how a body trembles when it’s lost
Softens when it’s safe
How a wound would heal given nothing but time

Do you understand
Nothing in space can imagine it
No comet
No nebula
No ray of light can fathom the landscape of awe
The heat of shame
The fingertips pulling the first grey hair
And throwing it away

"I can’t imagine it."
The stars say
"Tell us again about goosebumps.
Tell us again about pain."

-Andrea Gibson
“Perfection is static, and I am in full progress.”
—Anaïs Nin
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Re: Inspiration for the Muse

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If you'd like to give a listen...

Saturn

You taught me the courage of stars before you left
How light carries on endlessly, even after death
With shortness of breath, you explained the infinite
How rare and beautiful it is to even exist

I couldn't help but ask
For you to say it all again
I tried to write it down
But I could never find a pen
I'd give anything to hear
You say it one more time
That the universe was made
Just to be seen by my eyes

I couldn't help but ask
For you to say it all again
I tried to write it down
But I could never find a pen
I'd give anything to hear
You say it one more time
That the universe was made
Just to be seen by my eyes

With shortness of breath, I'll explain the infinite
How rare and beautiful it truly is that we exist


~ Saturn by Sleeping at Last
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Josette Wheeler
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Re: Inspiration for the Muse

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Lose You to Love Me

"You promised the world and I fell for it
I put you first and you adored it
Set fires to my forest
And you let it burn

Sang off-key in my chorus
'Cause it wasn't yours
I saw the signs and I ignored it
Rose-colored glasses all distorted
Set fire to my purpose
And I let it burn

You got off on the hurtin'
When it wasn't yours, yeah


We'd always go into it blindly
I needed to lose you to find me
This dance, it was killing me softly
I needed to hate you to love me, yeah
To love, love, yeah
To love, love, yeah
To love, yeah
I needed to lose you to love me, yeah

I gave my all and they all know it
You tore me down and now it's showing
In two months, you replaced us
Like it was easy
Made me think I deserved it
In the thick of healing,
yeah
We'd always go into it blindly
I needed to lose you to find me
This dance, it was killing me softly
I needed to hate you to love me, yeah
To love, love, yeah
To love, love, yeah
To love, yeah
I needed to lose you to love me, yeah
And now the chapter is closed and done
To love, love, yeah
To love, love, yeah
To love, yeah
And now it's goodbye, it's goodbye for us."

-Selena Gomez
“Perfection is static, and I am in full progress.”
—Anaïs Nin
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Josette Wheeler
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Re: Inspiration for the Muse

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Whistle Down the Wind

Whistle down the wind
Let your voices carry
Drown out all the rain
Light a patch of darkness
Treacherous and scary
Howl at the stars
Whisper when you're sleepy
I'll be there you hold you
I'll be there to stop
The chills and all the weeping
Make it clear and strong
So the whole night long
Every signal that you send
Until the very end
I will not abandon you my precious friend
So try and stand the tide
Then you'll raise a banner
Send a flare up in the sky
Try to burn a torch
And try to build a bonfire
Every signal that you send
Until the very end
I'm there

So whistle down the wind
For I have always been
Right there

-lyrics by Jim Steinman
“Perfection is static, and I am in full progress.”
—Anaïs Nin
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Re: Inspiration for the Muse

Post by Josette Wheeler »

Lucia Lacarra is often who I envision for Josie’s dancing style. This Méditation piece, (or Thaïs pas de deux) from the Thaïs opera, is just exquisite. Josette performed it with Jamie at one of the Shanachie Galas a few years back. I often watch it before writing one of the ballet focused pieces to help draw out my dancing muse!

https://youtu.be/uQxIstHtJw0

Composer: Jules Massenet
Choreographer: Roland Petit
Dancers: Lucia Lacarra and Cyril Pierre
“Perfection is static, and I am in full progress.”
—Anaïs Nin
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Re: Inspiration for the Muse

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Preparing for the next season of auditions at Shanachie was always a stressful time for Josie. She never took her position in the company for granted.

Though thanks to a wonderful new acquaintance, the ballerina ditched her pointe shoes to embrace a whole new style of dance. One that let her break out of the traditionsl structure of classical ballet and just relax, let go and have a bit of fun!

The routine Dante’s boyfriend, Cesare, taught her in the studio was so freeing, it helped her forget all about her recent troubles and as a result, she had not had one of her seizures in over a month.

Though Dante initially scowled for not being the center of attention, even he ultimately cracked a smile and joined the fun in the end— thanks to a bit of coaxing from Cesare of course. The man was a wonderful influence on proud The Black Eagle!

(Always love finding new dance inspiration! The routine with Josie and Cesare mentioned above is the first pair of dancers. Posted with permission of all characters involved. https://youtu.be/KepmpzZ89PU)
“Perfection is static, and I am in full progress.”
—Anaïs Nin
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Re: Inspiration for the Muse

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"Belief, like fear or love, is a force to be understood as we understand the theory of relativity and principals of uncertainty. Phenomena that determine the course of our lives. Yesterday, my life was headed in one direction. Today, it is headed in another. Yesterday, I believe I would never have done what I did today. These forces that often remake time and space, that can shape and alter who we imagine ourselves to be, begin long before we are born and continue after we perish. Our lives and our choices, like quantum trajectories, are understood moment to moment. That each point of intersection, each encounter, suggest a new potential direction."

~ David Mitchell

Music
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Re: Inspiration for the Muse

Post by Canaan »

You taught me the courage of stars, before you left
How light carries on endlessly, even after death
With shortness of breath, you explained the infinite
How rare and beautiful it is, to even exist

I couldn't help but ask
For you to say it all again
I tried to write it down
But I could never find a pen
I'd give anything to hear
You say it one more time
That the universe was made
Just to be seen by my eyes

With shortness of breath, I'll explain the infinite
How rare and beautiful it truly is that we exist

Sleeping at Last - Saturn
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Re: Inspiration for the Muse

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Simply the Best

I call you when I need you, my heart's on fire
You come to me, wild and wired
You come to me, give me everything I need

Give me a life time of promises and a world of dreams
Speak the language of love like you know what it means
And it can't be wrong
Take my heart and make it strong, babe
You're simply the best
Better than all the rest
Better than anyone
Anyone I ever met
And I'm stuck on your heart
I hang on every word you say
Tear us apart
Baby I would rather be dead

In your heart I see the start of every night and every day
In your eyes I get lost, I get washed away
Just as long I'm here in your arms I could be in no better place

You're simply the best
Better than all the rest
Better than anyone
Anyone I ever met
And I'm stuck on your heart
I hang on every word you say
Tear us apart
Baby, I would rather be dead

Each time you leave me I start losing control
You're walking away with my heart and my soul
I can feel you even when I'm alone
Oh, baby, don't let go
'Cause you're simply the best
Better than all the rest
Better than anyone
Anyone I ever met
And I'm stuck on your heart babe
I hang on every word you say
Tear us apart
Oh I would rather be dead
Ooh you're the best
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Re: Inspiration for the Muse

Post by Isaac Wheeler »

What happened, happened once. So now it’s best
in memory—an orange he sliced: the skin
unbroken, then the knife, the chilled wedge
lifted to my mouth, his mouth, the thin
membrane between us, the exquisite orange,
tongue, orange, my nakedness and his,
the way he pushed me up against the fridge—
Now I get to feel his hands again, the kiss
that didn’t last, but sent some neural twin
flashing wildly through the cortex. Love’s
merciless, the way it travels in
and keeps emitting light. Beside the stove
we ate an orange. And there were purple flowers
on the table. And we still had hours.

Kim Addonizio, “Stolen Moments,” Poetry

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~ Photo Credit: Meg Cassidy
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Re: Inspiration for the Muse

Post by Canaan »

I'm at one with the silence
I found peace in your violence
Can't tell me there's no point in trying
I'm at one, and I've been quiet for too long

Marshmello - Silence ft. Khalid
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Re: Inspiration for the Muse

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I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)

When I wake up, well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
And when I go out, yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you

And when I come home, yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's coming home to you
And when I'm dreamin', well I know I'm gonna dream
I'm gonna dream about the time when I'm with you

But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles
To fall down at your door

When I'm workin', yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's workin' hard for you
And when the money comes in for the work I do
I'll pass along every cent of it to you

And when I'm lonely, well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you
And if I grow old, well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you

But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles
To fall down at your door

When I wake up, well I hope I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's waking up to you
And when I'm dreamin', well I know I'm gonna dream
I'm gonna dream about the time I had with you
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Re: Inspiration for the Muse

Post by Canaan »

These are the moments of real elation. Nothing is wrong. Everything is right. Everything is, or seems, perfect—radiantly obvious, and yet, until now, so difficult to see.

Claire Luchette
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Josette Wheeler
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Re: Inspiration for the Muse

Post by Josette Wheeler »

Scenes from one of my favorite inspirational ballet movies, Billy Elliot.

What dancing feels like.

Inspiration for a fresh take on Swan Lake at Shanachie!

Choreographer-Matthew Bourne
Dancer-Adam Cooper
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