JOURNEY: Who will help me with my spark? A very long journey, still ongoing.

Feb 23, 2024

November 8, 1997. I woke up with the words in my head,

When Dorothy landed in the land of Oz
She needed a lot of help because
She was a long long way from home
And could never make it back alone. …

But I didn’t really care about Dorothy. Next came the words:

Who will help me with my spark?

Those were the core words. They were what really mattered to me.

I put the piece online a dozen years later, in 2009:
https://elsas-word-story-image-idea-music-emporium.com/i-need-help-lyrics.html

About a month ago, the words kept coming back into my mind:

Who will help me with my spark?
Whom can I help make their mark?
Who will help me build this ark?
Whom can I help get through their dark?

The words are not true in the same way they were a quarter century ago. I know a lot more people now. A lot more people know me. Lots more people are connected to me.

But I still feel that deep-down desire, for more help with my spark. As the words come over and over in the poem:

I cannot do it alone

January 30, 2024. I sent out the text and asked: Who wants to take part in a online performance of this piece, Who will help me with my spark? The call went out to over 8000 people. Two people said yes. Michelle and Carlotta.

When we did the first reading, it felt very right - our 3 very different voices, very different presences. But, like the words in the piece, we were a long way from “home” - from bringing the piece really alive.

Who wants to help me with my spark?
Whose light meets mine in the dark?
Who longs to build with me an ark
          to sail far into the world?
          to float to a new-found land?
          to reach where we belong?
          to make what's ours our whole life long?

Michelle took drama classes in high school. That was long ago. Carlotta has never done anything like this.

We’ve had several rehearsals. I can hear the voices getting truer and truer. In maybe 2 weeks, we’ll do a recording. And then I’ll edit and send the piece out.

Will I feel driven to do more with the piece?

I don’t know.

I can feel other pieces pulling at me. Like Restless: