rufus, rufus, rufus

sometimes talent astounds

a man
alone on stage
with just the piano for certain songs
and his guitar for others

his mother accompanies him
during the second of his two encores

playing "somewhere over the rainbow"
as her son takes his rightful place
bathed in light

chills
spingle, as rosie calls it
spine - tingle

from the mid balcony of carnegie hall
hand in hand with matt
to the front row of the bergenPAC theatre
in englewood, new jersey

the rufus wainwright concert

jan, my best friend's mom, invited me
"ONLY DIE HARD RUFUS FANS ALLOWED!"
i was informed
"ASHLEY'S NOT INVITED!"

we waited afterwards
jan & i
like teens outside the stage door
of the monkees, tiffany or hannah montana

jan, a gorgeous grandmother
and little old me
both bubbling over with excitement

just amazed and grateful to have been there

there's really nothing like live performance
theatre, concert, conversation even

life happens in the present
"there is no future, there is no past"

try to be there
in every moment

it's easy if you try

just be aware that, "i'm here now"
in this time
at this place

plastered to the chair
transfixed
unable to move a muscle
moved beyond comprehension
by this singer, by the songwriter, by this song

you can dream a moment
listening to music on the floor of your childhood bedroom

and it can really, truly happen
under entirely different circumstances than you'd planned
but happen
in one crystalized moment

a lifetime forward
a lifetime away