Earlier this week, in between dropping off some of my children at a club meeting, buying some groceries and going back to pick them up, I sat in a local shopping mall with nothing to do and nowhere to be. A great peace washed over me as I sat in between two market stalls and watched the people hurrying about, so I started to document the experience in verse:
An Island of Serenity
An island of serenity amidst the milling throng All around me darts a world to which I don’t belong, Convinced a slice of heaven can be found here on a shelf, Or else at least a key to unlocking your true self.
Calming Christmas music wafts down the glassy walls, Drifting over harried workers at the market stalls, The peace that washes over me warms me to my core, Giving me a foretaste of that Life that lies in store
When my time down here is done and Your face I shall see, And you give me the great prize that you won at Calvary. Your love is so unmerited, so shockingly divine, It seems so insufficient to just give you all that’s mine;
Give me an opportunity to be a blessing here, A broken soul with eyes to see and a listening ear, That a fellow traveller might find the hope you give, Find rest from all his mortal woes and truly start to live.
This song is adapted from an upcoming collaborative project with Anthony Marchetta, and also commemorated my twenty-first wedding anniversary last week. (a new version of the video with improved audio has now been uploaded
Options for downloading or listening via major online stores and streaming services can be found here as soon as they become available:
Today is the 22nd anniversary of the first time I contacted the girl who became my wife. Here is the song I wrote and sung for the occasion last night.
There’s a certain precious magic in communication When distant souls discover they are close; Two lonely hearts that have their homes in separated nations Take a chance, and thus a friendship grows.
That friendship can plants seeds of love that sprout and grow and bloom, And multiply the joys and stakes of life, Until the two stand side by side as blushing bride and groom, Forever to be joined as man and wife.
I’m so glad I started down this path that led me to your heart And grew my soul immensely on the way, So I’ll do my utmost to always play my part In blessing you, my treasure, every day.
After far too long to get it ready, I am pleased to announce the release of Without Love, There is No Life, available on most streaming and music platforms, complete with a music video on youtube.
All options for listening to and downloading the song can be found here
The song has been tweaked and expanded on since the poem version, originally inspired by multiple scenes in Nobility Among Us, and even since the live performance a year and a half ago (which was less than an hour after the piano accompaniment was worked out with the extremely talented Daniela Zoubková).
She is back again providing the piano, Petr Mares is on the guitar, (whose talents you may know from Did you Know? and A Tale of the Once and Future King) and I provide the vocals. I edited the music video using freely available stock footage and imagery from Pixabay and Unsplash. English closed captions are available in the youtube video for the hard of hearing and non-native English speakers, and Czech subtitles are available.
Listen, watch, enjoy, and share with those you think will appreciate it.
Lyrics:
Love is full of purity. It shows patience and humility. Love is not a selfish lust; Instead, love gives a grounds for trust. Love gives a child security. Love gives a thing its beauty; Because, without love there is no life.
Love is a many-splendoured thing. Love gives a broken man new wings. It perseveres, no matter what the cost; If you have love, you’re never truly lost; Love, seeing all my flaws; Love, guided by higher laws; You know, without love there is no life.
Love simply wants to hear the truth. Love, it is not eternal youth. Love is more than soothing noises, ‘Cause love steps up and makes hard choices. Love lasts through the ages, It’s written on all life’s pages. You see, without love there is no life.
It makes the ordinary great, Won’t mind if you are late, Won’t leave you to your fate, This is love.
Love puts you in harm’s way. Though you try, you can’t always save the day. Love is there to share your pain, To weep and help you on your feet again. Love is a healing flow. Love gives you room to grow. You know, without love there is no life.
Love looks you in the face. Love helps you find your place. With love, you can forgive the past, Move on and build a peace to really last. Love is where you find your worth; If you’re loved, you’re more precious than the Earth. You see, without love there is no life.
Love is full of light. Love does what’s right. Love is patient, love is kind. Love is humble, but not blind. Oh, love is beautiful! Oh, love is wonderful! You know, without love there is no life.
It shows you you belong, It admits when it is wrong, It’s majestic and it’s strong, This is love.
But love is not every time returned; Love is not something you have earned. Sometimes our care isn’t even prized; Instead our thoughts are utterly despised. True love goes on caring anyway, Even when we walk the other way; It knows that without love there is no life.
Love is how your soul can truly shine. Through love, I am yours and you are mine. Love expressed is such an open book; A life of love is worth a closer look. Can it be, that here is love for me? Come explore this greatest mystery, And see that without love there is no life.
**EDIT** Czech subtitles are now available, translated by Petr Mares. It is not meant to be singable and is not always an exact translation, the emphasis was on the beauty and flow of the text while capturing as much of the original meaning as possible.
Kde není láska, tam chybí život.
Láska – ta je vždy čistá, Plná trpělivosti a pokory, Není sobeckou vášní, Ale právě naopak: je základem vzájemné důvěry. Dítě pocítí v lásce bezpečí A každá věc jen v lásce nabyde své krásy. Protože kde není láska, tam chybí život.
Láska je něco nadmíru zázračného. Je to láska, co dá zlomenému nová křídla. Láska vytrvá, ať to stojí cokoli. A máš-li lásku, nikdy nejsi ztracený případ. Lásce nejsou moje chyby skryté, Řídí se nicméně vznešenější logikou. Totiž tam, kde není láska, tam chybí život.
Láska chce znát pravdu takovou, jaká je. Láska není slib věčného mládí. Láska je víc než plané konejšení. Umí se vydat i cestou těžkých rozhodnutí. O tom, že láska přetrvá věky, se dočteme na každé stránce života. Ono totiž kde není láska, tam chybí život.
Věci běžné promění ve skvělé, nerozladí ji zpoždění, nenechá tě napospas osudu. Taková je láska.
Láska tě neušetří těžkostí. Rád by ses jim vyhnul, ale není to vždy možné. Ale je tu láska, aby sdílela tvou bolest. Aby s tebou plakala a pomohla ti znovu na nohy. Láska je proud moci uzdravení. A láska ti dává také prostor k růstu. Totiž tam, kde není láska, tam chybí život.
Láska ti hledí do tváře, A pomůže ti přijít na to, kam patříš. V lásce dokážeš odpustit věci minulé, dokážeš jít dál a budovat trvalý pokoj. V lásce najdeš svou pravou hodnotu. Když jsi milován, jsi vzácnější než celý svět. Ono totiž kde není láska, tam chybí život.
Láska je plná světla; udělá to, co je správné. Láska je trpělivá a vlídná, je pokorná, ale nikoli slepá. Jak nádherná a úžasná je láska! Víš, kde není láska, tam chybí život.
Láska ti dá najevo přijetí. A pokud se mýlí, dokáže to uznat. Je vznešená a silná. Taková je láska.
Láska nicméně není vždy opětovaná. S láskou to není něco za něco. Občas zůstane naše snaha bez ocenění, někdy se setká dokonce s opovržením. Pravá láska i tak vytrvá. I tehdy, když je jí odpovědí lhostejnost. Ví totiž, že bez lásky není skutečného života.
Teprve v lásce se tvoje duše skutečně rozzáří. Skrze lásku jsem já tvým a ty jsi mou. Láska vepsaná do stránek otevřené knihy, Život v lásce stojí za bližší prozkoumání. Mohu se opravdu i já setkat s pravou láskou? Pojď, prozkoumej to největší tajemství. A přesvědč se: není života bez lásky.
The Zwyckyverse 