I love singing

…

For the last month or so

I haven’t wanted to sing

…

Both true

I’ve been sitting with these facts, fascinated.  Almost always, I just fall into this reality.  No deep analysis of my brain function.  Not even “part of the rhythms of life”.  Just sitting.  Which reminds me of a quote:

Sometimes I sits and thinks

Sometimes I just sits

(A Maine, USA fisherman in 1905)

And now there is now … or more precisely last night.  It was the monthly open mic session at Salavatore’s on Sint-Salavatorstraat in Gent.

I’ve sung there for two years or so.  But yesterday I had no desire to.  “Singing will come back … just not today.”

I went because I wanted to talk to friends, and because I’d promised Nel and Yosse that I would.

There were about 25 of us settling down for the beginning of performance.  As usual, our host Kobe presented us with a pizza box and a marker.  They passed through the room, with folks who wanted to perform writing their name.

I received the box and gave it to the next person, unsigned.  And that was a first.  Such a strange feeling.

Three or four folks performed their magic and then Kobe called for a break – to replenish drinks and relationships.

There we were spread over the sidewalk.  I started talking to Omar and a fellow I didn’t know.  We discussed this and that, including that I wasn’t singing.

And then …

Out of nowhere …

I will sing

No rhyme or reason here, no figuring out.  Instead it was a gentle wave washing over me.  I went inside and added my name to the pizza box.

***

I sang