There are poets. They exist. They take words out of the lexicon of the day and put them together in ways that evoke feeling and wonder and experience. These poets are in all shapes and forms. They sometimes will write on paper with pen or pencil having no other purpose than to be read and cherished in time or for a time.
Behind every great musician is a wall full of instruments.
Sometimes they put a beat to these words, rapping out the lines with passion and longing to grab hold of a thought or idea maybe pregnant for such a time as this.
Sometimes the words find their way into a melody of notes, something with a familiar tune which almost demands it’s way into the subconscious to be absorbed and made into the the lingering soundtrack of a person’s life.
This installment of #thisiscrazylove2016 goes to one such person.
A poet. A person who can take words, put them together in a form or fashion, in an order that conveys to all listening what is needed to be understood. That person, that poet is Steven Jackson.
I met Steven in 2003. He and his wife were living in Nashville. He was, wait for it, this may shock you a little bit… Especially if you are from Nashville… he was a singer/songwriter. He traveled quite a bit at the time playing at colleges and universities and I really LOVED his music.
Then he and Amy moved back to their home state and much to the chagrin of Beck and me, they were no longer readily available in our lives.
We lost track for a few years and then Facebook came about and we were able to peak in from time to time to see the children get older.
Then, after a long spell of not seeming to write anything new we inquired what was up. He’d gone through some medical stuff. From the sound of things, it sucked.
You know those people in your life that you pop in on every so often on Social Media but you don’t check in with them every day? That’s what life was like with Steven. He wasn’t a fixture in life but I was always excited when a post would find it’s way across my feed.
Anyway, fast forward to a couple of years back. He was playing in a little cafe in Alabama and the Beckster asked if I’d like to drive down there and surprise him?
Loving his music and especially loving what I had heard from his new record I jumped at the chance. We drove down, walked in and from the stage he called us out.
Steven writes in such a way that makes a person better for hearing it.
He opens his heart on the page. The lyrics and music come out in such a way that you can’t help but imagine a person struggling for hours, days and weeks over lines and notes trying to find the perfect concoction.
Then, the result is the magic. That’s the best word I can think of… Magic.
And he's a Girl Scout too! Just kidding. But come on, this picture gives you as much joy as it gives me.
He captures for me a moment in time, like a photograph or a memory. He paints the vision across my mind and I see, for a minute, his world. And I like it.
Today I give #thisiscrazylove2016 to Steven Jackson because he inspires me with his vulnerability and his artistry.