Conversations and Sighs #acnotes
Unlike a coin, a song could have a billion sides. A side, a story, an untold saga that only its listener knows. And no two versions need to be the same. Here's one side, my side to an oft heard song. Well, the other side, I'll leave that to your imagination.
Flashback
It was some time late in the afternoon when I was introduced to Simon & Garfunkel's The Dangling Conversation by a lady in her late 60s. Greyed, graceful and soft spoken. This was during the book launch of a poetry anthology. One of my poems was part of this book. She was sitting beside me and that's when I told her about the poem. And she mentioned, she had read the poem a few minutes back, since she had reached the venue a bit early. Being an introvert back then, I didn't ask much about her. But one thing that stuck with me was what she mentioned. She said my poem reminded her of "The Dangling Conversation". The next day when I was back at work, I listened to that song, online. And I really couldn't see the connection because the poem I had written was about my first date. And the song by S&G was about a couple who might just call it quits.
Interpretation
This is the first part of the the song:
"It’s a still-life watercolor
Of a now late afternoon
As the sun shines through the curtain lace
And shadows wash the room
And we sit and drink our coffee
Couched in our indifference
Like shells upon the shore
You can hear the ocean roar
In the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
The borders of our lives"
Two people, in a room. The possibilities could be umpteen, however here it's zeroed into just one. The verses cue the silence that has been brewing in between. The lacuna between both. And walls that have been erected in between.
The mid segment
"And you read your Emily Dickinson
And I my Robert Frost
And we note our places with bookmarkers
That measure what we’ve lost
Like a poem poorly written
We are verses out of rhythm
Couplets out of rhyme
In syncopated time
And the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
Are the borders of our lives"
We notice a difference in the choices they've made. However, the mention of two different poets is also in correlation to the words that follow. They draw a parallel to poorly written poems that lack rhythm and out of rhyme. Well, that's the reality with many - we hope for perfection with every relationship we pursue, but seldom does it come true.
This is how the song ends.
"Yes,we speak of thing that matter
With words that must be said
“Can analysis be worthwhile?”
“Is the theatre really dead?”
And how the room is softly faded
And I only kiss your shadow
I cannot feel your hand
You’re a stranger now unto me
Lost in the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
In the borders of our lives"
Transactional conversations, topics that are fillers. Both elusive to touch. Confidants transitioning into strangers, since there's very little left to confide. Thus, the dangling conversation with superficial sighs and edging the borders to eventually exit. Well, that's a possibility. Or, they may continue to travel the same path while being distant like two adjacent railway tracks.
Sigh.
The above realisation took me repeated listens over the years. Eventually I realised that the distance at the start of the relationship is more or less the same as it might be when a relationship is at its fag's end. Quite a revelation, but a late one at that. Maybe, this is what that lady meant when she read my poem. While I was at one point of my relationship, that could have been a start. Or perhaps, she read it from the perspective of being at the end of hers? It's just my hypothesis. And I'll leave it at that.
Circling back to the song, I go back to Simon & Garfunkel or Paul Simon's lyrical genius since their songs have been a constant source of enlightenment. Listen to this, whenever you really have the time to ponder. This isn't one of those songs you could casually listen to while you're engaged in some other task. Mindfully listen. This song deserves your attention, perhaps, like your relationship, if you're already into one. In case you're not into one, take notes, it may help whenever you're entering one. Need I mention, you could use this song itself as a conversation starter. However, don't let it dangle ever with superficial sighs.
https://lynkify.in/song/the-dangling-conversation/dmIboIfX
#acnotes
Love thissss
Super article! Beautifully written