The “swan song” in ancient Greece was a metaphorical phrase used
to signify a final gesture before death. The phrase refers to an ancient belief
that swans sing a beautiful song in the moment just before death, having been
silent during most of their life. Suffice it to say that
each of us possesses something within that makes us want to do something
fantastic just before we go. Whether that means before we leave this world, or
simply say goodbye to a part of our life that is ending. Furthermore I think
it's safe to say that any of us have the capacity to fight if pushed to a
certain point. It's in all of us, it's primal, and it's real. That survival
instinct that for some of us is right on the surface, and for others it's
buried so deep within. Throwing in the
towel, letting go, or saying goodbye can be difficult when you truly believe in
your heart that what you are turning from was worthy, just, and worth the
fight. As we come to the realization that we must go, we feel the song in our
hearts percolating to the surface. A
final goodbye, a final cry, the final I love you. When the undertones beneath the pulse of a
relationship run against the grain of your soul, you must release the harmony
and bow out as gracefully as possible with all the dignity and self respect you
can muster.
When you reach the point where there is no
more fight left in you be still awhile, be quiet and listen to the music in
your heart. I wonder now how long I lay there in her arms a complete stranger.
No more goodbye's, I've said my last, no more room to cry, I cannot last, I
cannot rise again and step back into that ring. No more I love you’s and no
more laughter shared. With the help of
some desert flowers, sandstone walls, and amazing friends, I’ve reached deep
into my soul and strummed the strings of my heart song one last time. I’ve belted out the tune from deep within,
one last time. Sitting upon a sandstone
boulder, in an isolated canyon, listening to the wind act as my quartet, I bury
in the sand the image I’ve carried with me.
I’ve removed my shoes and slowly buried half of the equation into the
sand. Sliding my toes deeper, to a
cooler place, searching but knowing this would now be a solo serenade to
whatever tomorrow brings.
The desert sky fades to pink, red, orange and
blue, and I sit bathed in the fading light, strumming my guitar and allowing
the tears to soak the sand. I strum
harder, I reach deeper and I release it.
I sing my swan song to the fading light, toes in the sand, searching,
but letting go. There will be the toes
of another to meet mine someday. Just
below the surface, in a cooler place with less volatility and hostility. Until that day arrives, I will sing, I will
dance, I will play, and I will be unafraid to strum those strings and discover
all that this life has to offer. In the
astounding clutch of this experience I shall sing my song and dance my
dance. I have said my last goodbye and I
now sing to the desert sunsets, the dancing winds, and the glowing moonlight
that surrounds my days. I will pack my
guitar and move into the next day, sing a new song, and smile with all the
exuberance I can muster. This life I
lead is the one shot that I’ve got and I shall not waste another key, another chord,
or another day. I stare across the sands
of this life and I sing my swan song to the heavens and I smile up at the stars
as I sit in the glowing light of a crackling fire. I am free, I am me, and I am content. As the light fades, a new sunrise will
follow. Face the setting sun, strum
those strings, and sing your swan song into that fading light.
