Homage to the dancing dreamer
On behalf of all Michael Jackson fanatics, allow me to pay homage to the King of Pop in commemoration of his fifth death anniversary on Tuesday.
Since I have an extensive MJ collection, I thought of sharing some of Michael’s musings from “Dancing the Dream (Poems & Reflections by Michael Jackson),” which was released in June 1992 by Doubleday.
He dedicated the book to his mother, Katherine. MJ’s close friend, actress Elizabeth Taylor wrote the introduction. It is a hauntingly beautiful compilation of MJ’s personal writings, with over a hundred photographs, drawings and paintings. It’s a must-have for all MJ fans.
As we say a prayer for MJ, may his reflections make us scratch beneath the surface and find secrets his heart never told. I miss you, MJ, with every breath I take and love you with every beat of my heart.
How I make music
“People ask how I make music. I tell them I just step into it. It’s like stepping into a river and joining the flow. Every moment in the river has its song. So I stay in the moment and listen.
“What I hear is never the same. A walk through the woods brings a light, crackling song: Leaves rustle in the wind, birds chatter … twigs crush underfoot and the beat of my heart holds it all together. When you join the flow, the music is inside and outside and both are the same. As long as I can listen to the moment, I’ll always have music.”
Dancing the dream
“Consciousness expresses itself through creation. This world we live in is the dance of the Creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on.
“When I’m dancing, I’ve felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I’ve felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists. I become the stars and the moon. I become the lover and the beloved. I become the victor and the vanquished. I become the master and the slave. I become the singer and the song. I become the knower and the known. I keep on dancing and then, it is the eternal dance of creation. The creator and creation merge into one wholeness of joy. I keep on dancing and dancing and dancing until there is only… the dance.”
Love
“Love is a funny thing to describe. It’s so easy to feel and yet so slippery to talk about. It’s like a bar of soap in the bathtub—you have it in your hand until you hold on too tight.
“Some people spend their lives looking for love outside themselves. They think they have to grasp it in order to have it. But love slips away like that wet bar of soap.”
Courage
“It’s curious what takes courage and what doesn’t. When I step out on stage in front of thousands of people, I don’t feel that I’m being brave. It can take much more courage to express true feelings to one person. When I think of courage, I think of the Cowardly Lion in ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ He was always running away from danger … But he also shared his real feelings with those he loved, even though he didn’t always like those feelings.
“That takes real courage, the courage to be intimate. Expressing your feelings is not the same as falling apart in front of someone else—it’s being accepting and true to your heart … When you have the courage to be intimate, you know who you are, and you’re willing to let others see that. It’s scary because you feel so vulnerable, so open to rejection.”
The last tear
“Your words stabbed my heart, and I cried tears of pain. ‘Get out!’ I shouted. ‘These are the last tears I’ll ever cry for you.’ So you left.
“I waited for hours but you didn’t return. That night by myself, I cried tears of frustration.
“I waited weeks, but you had nothing to say. Thinking of your voice, I cried tears of loneliness.
“I waited months but you left no sign for me. In the depths of my heart, I cried tears of despair.
“How strange that all these tears could not wash away the hurt! Then one thought of love pierced my bitterness. I remembered you in the sunlight with a smile as sweet as May wine. A tear of gratitude started to fall, and miraculously, you were back. Soft fingers touched my cheek and you bent over for a kiss.
“‘Why have you come?’ I whispered. “‘To wipe away your last tear,’ you replied. ‘It was the one you saved for me.’”
Once we were there
“Before the beginning, before the violence
“Before the anguish of the broken silence
“A thousand longings never uttered
“Pangs of sorrow, brutally smothered
“But I have chosen to break and be free
“Cut those ties, so I can see
“Those bonds that imprisoned me in memories of pain
“Those judgments, interpretations that cluttered my brain
“Those festering wounds that lingered have gone
“In their place, a new life has dawned
“That lonely child, still clutching his toy
“Has made his peace, discovered his joy
“Where time is not, immortality’s clear
“Where love abounds, there is no fear
“The child has grown to weave his magic
“Left behind his life of sorrow, once so tragic
“He is now ready to share
“Ready to love, ready to care
“Unfold his heart, with nothing to spare
“Join him now, if you dare.”
