Blog 802 – 10.22.2017

I Need To Be In Love (A Sad Chorus Re-Written)

Some songs that I once thought were so beautiful today I feel the need to rewrite at least for myself. One of the hauntingly beautiful ones is I Need To Be In love sung by the incomparable Karen Carpenter and her brilliant brother Richard. The original chorus goes:

“I know, I need to be in love.

I know I’ve wasted too much time.

I know I ask affection of a quite imperfect world

And fool enough to think that’s what I’ll find.”

The words of a young heart tentative and sad. But now the words of an older more experience heart hopeful and glad.

Indeed, I’ve always been “In Love.”

Impossible to have ever wasted time.

I’ve often found affection in this oh so perfect world

And wise enough to wrap my heart around.

And no, I do not intend to rewrite every sad song but even those I need to sing with hope. Sometimes it breaks our heart when we believe our love is not returned. But, hear me, in truth that never ever happens. Love is the original continuous loop or boomerang. What goes out always comes back and with interest. It is a law in the material world that matter cannot be destroyed and in the spiritual or unseen world the same law exists for love. We, like the Velveteen Rabbit in the wonderful children’s story, are made real by love.

Anytime I start one of these pieces on Love I am reminded of the great German poet, Rene Karl Wilhelm Johann Josep Maria Rilke (Two more names than my son Jon) best known as Rainer Maria Rilke, who wrote in a book called Letters To A Young Poet that that poets should best avoid writing about love directly. A more favorite Rilke quote is, “The only journey is the one within.” To which I would only add – Who you will find there is Love-Him/Herself. I really do need to work on this rewriting thing.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White