The sun shines spotty and the stream is calling here in Kansas.
For my second annual week of seclusion, I wanted to go someplace different. My guiding criteria was to trim down the 7-hour drive that I took the previous year. I found an “artists” cabin in Kansas. Since songwriting was one of my intentions, I was sold.
I started down listening to a bunch of song exploder podcasts to get into a creative mindset. I felt like I had many ideas going. It was getting me in the right headspace.
My arrival was met with slight discouragement. The cabin was visible to the host’s home. Something more secluded was the ideal. On a positive note, the structure was a tiny home complete with a quirky host to match. She noticed my unpacking and gave some instructions from afar. She wore a hat that gave her fox-like ears and had flaps that covered her cheeks.
Getting in required opening a fence and led to a bridge over a creek. The fence held a horse and pony. The cabin came with surprises. I crossed over into in the covered porch and through door. It had been augmented over the years with a bunch of different DIY homemaking materials and techniques. Down below were a fully functional kitchen, shower, and a little cove to sleep. Up top was for kids to sleep and play. Out towards the front was a sitting and reading space.
Once I got everything inside, I immediately picked up my guitar and started writing. I observed my environment and channeled that into the content. What rang loud to me was the sound of the water outside, the wildlife, and the cabin. It was the sound of spring. I was practicing a technique I had learned from another writer. To listen to the world like you’re listening to a record. It was symphonic. That became the central theme of the song.
As the lyrics progressed, they got more personal. Being alone has this way of reminding you who means the most. As Jeff Tweedy says, “Distance has a way of making love understandable.” I was thoroughly enjoying the moment and wanted to share it with another. That other was my wife.
Lyrics
Verse 1
The sun shines spotty
and the stream is calling
Here in kansasI put a fire in the stove
and unpack all that I broughtThe wet earth walks soft
and the cardinals talk
Here in kansasPaper to pen giving everything I got
Giving everything I gotChorus
Spring seems like a symphony
I’m just joining in
to all it’s got to say
are you listening ?
The sound builds like an avalanche
busting through the trees
filling my heart again
and I’m remembering
All I have is memoryVerse 2
The rains turn loose
but I’m warm in my shoes
Here in kansasPages turn easy
As I’m getting out of my headThe spider strings silently
Building it’s web
Here in kansasI watch her work quiet
as my body finds its bed
As my body finds its bed