Dawnings

Castle

By Nicholas Hooper

Safe inside a castle where thoughts can freely flow
Circling round the stone walls they know which way to go
Up thoughts and down thoughts and round thoughts in stone
The wind they make, it whistles round and makes a gentle moan

Outside is the real world, the crazy world so mad
The stories that you hear out there are nearly always bad
Of murder and revenge and greed, they make a rasping sound
Of anger, sadness, desperation flying round and round

Dare I let down my drawbridge now to cross over my moat
And see and hear the way guys talk and wonder how they vote
To live a life so different, so harsh and full of pain?
I take one look, let out a cry, and run back in again.

The truth it is that walls so thick can’t keep the sirens out
Can’t keep the noise of fear and shame, can’t guard against the shout
Of let me in, oh let me in to share your wealthy life
Oh comfort me, oh comfort me and help me through the strife

And will I let the wide world in or shut it out in vain
To find it leaks its own way in like dark cold drops of rain?
The world is there, the world is here and all that I can do
Is help in any way I can for them, for us, for you.

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About Dawnings:
“Every morning at around 5am I get up and go down to my studio. After a short meditation I write down whatever is in my head, giving myself fifteen minutes to do so. Then moving over to the piano (or a more portable instrument like my Ukulele when I'm away), I improvise and record a piece of music inspired by whatever words I just wrote. It is a great way of keeping both my writing and my composing going and I call these small creations Dawnings. They are mostly unedited, like sketches, so that they keep that fresh feeling of an early morning discovery.”

— Nick Hooper