Thanks! I have been thinking about our youth culture dominated world and how there is a gap in art made for adults. The youth culture is wonderful and energetic, but I want more stuff for people who have a little more worn tread on the tires
This is magnificent, perfect marriage of three concepts and the beauty in decay is perfectly captured. I’ll add a music suggestion, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, by Neutral Milk Hotel, it can’t be background music, has to be fully listened to, but todays work is up there with that, in the rarified dimensions of great art - cheers!
Thank you so much! That's a fantastic music suggestion. That whole album by Neutral Milk Hotel is wonderful, but I love In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, such a deep song.
Happened to have seen a new documentary on the elephant 6 collective they came out of a few weeks ago, it may be streaming now but was a great film and made me give them another listen recently - really otherworldly
That sounds like something I'm going to have to track down. I'm a music documentary junkie. But something about the elephant 6 collective sounds especially intriguing.
I was the last child of parents who were the last children. First of all it meant i grew up surrounded by older people. It also meant I grew up hearing the music as well as the sounds of the “high lonesome”. As I grew up in Kentucky, not in the area of Appalachia, but the music and stories of the older generation. At the time I did not know I was hearing sounds and music that would be history, of my family.
I of course knew about Mr. Monroe. I heard that type of music all of my young life. Because I was so young, I did not appreciate how special it was at the time. I can certainly understand now just how important it was.
To say I can definitely relate so much to your piece here is an understatement. My family was old southern “high lonesome” people. Now that I am growing into that generation myself, i can appreciate the music & the stories.
My hubby is 💯 Japanese. While he was born and raised in HAWAII, he was raised in a very Japanese household. When we were first dating we each had stories to tell each other. The ways of the elders, the stories of our childhood. This piece definitely brought back memories of another time, which feels like yesterday. But it was long ago. I feel that my memories put together with his, show just how much these yesterdays were so alike. It is amazing to me just how human beings may look different and sound different, but in the end we are the same. (You didn’t hear it but I just did that high lonesome “wail”). Wabi Sabi
Thank you for this piece. It touched me so deeply.
Thank you so much! Yes it was challenging in so many ways. There is a lot of rich history, but it was tough to break through that history to the current times. Especially when there were 2 “children” that were quite a bit older. But I survived barely 😂
Another to add to your high lonesome sound is "My Buddy" by Jerry Jeff Walker and also "One Too Many Mornings" by him. Dylan wrote it but nobody can sing it like Jerry Jeff.
Thanks for sharing these tunes! I love Jerry Jeff's version of Oen Too Many Mornings. I agree with you, that is is the definitive version. My Buddy was new to me. What a great listen. So much amazing music has been made.
My favorite by far, Jason. I will also be writing about wabi-sabi from a photographic perspective. I think you and I were buddies in a past life as this philosophy of life is what I believe in as well.
I can't wait to read your post about wabi-sabi photography! I agree, we must have been connected in a past life. I'm grateful to have found you again in this one!
“I have found that by allowing myself to sit in sadness, I am better able to accept and hold joy. This is the paradox of the high lonesome.”
This was an amazing post, Jason, and these lines especially so! I think accepting and allowing for the multiplicity of emotions and life experiences is somehow the key to feeling both deeply. That’s not to be prescriptive or say it’s easy but there is some magic in making space.
Thank you so much, Priya! I agree that there is magic in making space for all of our feelings. Internet culture right now seems to want to push us either towards toxic positivity or hopeless doom and gloom, leaving little room for the complexity of our full emotional palettes.
Thank you, Jason for linking wabi-sabi and high lonesome. The closest I can think of in the Filipino psyche is the “kundiman” which is 19th /20th c music (which some folks still appreciate these days.) it was borne with the stirrings of the formation of national consciousness ushered in by 3 centuries of spanish colonization, and yet, is rooted in the colonizer’s old subculture of the troubadours. It’s a contraction of the phrase “kung hindi man” -- “if it never comes to pass” an expression of hope-no-hope duality of unrequited love. As a person, high lonesome or kundiman can also be felt even when one has a close family and partner to share life with. I find high lonesome, wabi sabi, kundiman, as a basic condition of being human. Who was it who said, “alone we are born, and alone we shall die.” Or something like that?
Wow. Jason this is good! The longing, the beautiful sadness in these songs... I feel like autumn sings to us in a high lonesome way about how to love life and also accept the mystery of death. Today, I'm thinking about one of my favorite wild plants-- Jack-in-the-Pulpit-- and the way it produces heavy bright red berries in its old age, reseeding itself for next spring.
Thank you. Your haiku bid beautiful! I first fell in love with the Jack-in-the-pulpit plant when I heard it’s name. The first time I saw one, I was so happy it lived up to its whimsical name.
This wonderful post and the term ‘high lonesome’ brings to my mind the Irish word for lonely, ‘uaigneas’, which in a sentence could be expressed, ‘Tá uaigneas orm’, ‘There is sadness / loneliness on me’. The interesting thing to me is the word’s root in ‘uaigh’ which means ‘grave’ (burial place, not the demeanour). Surely the ultimate ‘lonesome’?
These poems speak to my soul in this phase of life!
Thanks! I have been thinking about our youth culture dominated world and how there is a gap in art made for adults. The youth culture is wonderful and energetic, but I want more stuff for people who have a little more worn tread on the tires
Yes! I do wish I would have entertained my creative side in my 20s, which I left on the side of the road. But it’s never too late to embrace!
This is magnificent, perfect marriage of three concepts and the beauty in decay is perfectly captured. I’ll add a music suggestion, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, by Neutral Milk Hotel, it can’t be background music, has to be fully listened to, but todays work is up there with that, in the rarified dimensions of great art - cheers!
Thank you so much! That's a fantastic music suggestion. That whole album by Neutral Milk Hotel is wonderful, but I love In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, such a deep song.
Happened to have seen a new documentary on the elephant 6 collective they came out of a few weeks ago, it may be streaming now but was a great film and made me give them another listen recently - really otherworldly
That sounds like something I'm going to have to track down. I'm a music documentary junkie. But something about the elephant 6 collective sounds especially intriguing.
I got to see it in a small music venue, I’m a documentary fan too, it’s a great doc and I think you’ll love it - same for anyone similarly situated 🙂
Damn, dude! This is rad.
Thank you!
Last child of the old
When they thought there were no more
Sounds of high lonesome
I was the last child of parents who were the last children. First of all it meant i grew up surrounded by older people. It also meant I grew up hearing the music as well as the sounds of the “high lonesome”. As I grew up in Kentucky, not in the area of Appalachia, but the music and stories of the older generation. At the time I did not know I was hearing sounds and music that would be history, of my family.
I of course knew about Mr. Monroe. I heard that type of music all of my young life. Because I was so young, I did not appreciate how special it was at the time. I can certainly understand now just how important it was.
To say I can definitely relate so much to your piece here is an understatement. My family was old southern “high lonesome” people. Now that I am growing into that generation myself, i can appreciate the music & the stories.
My hubby is 💯 Japanese. While he was born and raised in HAWAII, he was raised in a very Japanese household. When we were first dating we each had stories to tell each other. The ways of the elders, the stories of our childhood. This piece definitely brought back memories of another time, which feels like yesterday. But it was long ago. I feel that my memories put together with his, show just how much these yesterdays were so alike. It is amazing to me just how human beings may look different and sound different, but in the end we are the same. (You didn’t hear it but I just did that high lonesome “wail”). Wabi Sabi
Thank you for this piece. It touched me so deeply.
Wow, thank you! Your haiku is great, it definitely oozes the high lonesome feeling. What an amazing, and I'm sure challenging, way to grow up.
Thank you so much! Yes it was challenging in so many ways. There is a lot of rich history, but it was tough to break through that history to the current times. Especially when there were 2 “children” that were quite a bit older. But I survived barely 😂
I really like the poems, but I find the Weirdo Poetry logo anachronistic.
I'm glad you enjoyed the poems! As for the logo, 🤷🏼
Another to add to your high lonesome sound is "My Buddy" by Jerry Jeff Walker and also "One Too Many Mornings" by him. Dylan wrote it but nobody can sing it like Jerry Jeff.
Thanks for sharing these tunes! I love Jerry Jeff's version of Oen Too Many Mornings. I agree with you, that is is the definitive version. My Buddy was new to me. What a great listen. So much amazing music has been made.
Summer to Fall, the
Oscillating Universe
Leads by example
Yes! Great haiku! I love the line "Oscillating universe" and can't believe I've never used that. It's perfect.
Thanks!
My favorite by far, Jason. I will also be writing about wabi-sabi from a photographic perspective. I think you and I were buddies in a past life as this philosophy of life is what I believe in as well.
I can't wait to read your post about wabi-sabi photography! I agree, we must have been connected in a past life. I'm grateful to have found you again in this one!
“I have found that by allowing myself to sit in sadness, I am better able to accept and hold joy. This is the paradox of the high lonesome.”
This was an amazing post, Jason, and these lines especially so! I think accepting and allowing for the multiplicity of emotions and life experiences is somehow the key to feeling both deeply. That’s not to be prescriptive or say it’s easy but there is some magic in making space.
Thank you so much, Priya! I agree that there is magic in making space for all of our feelings. Internet culture right now seems to want to push us either towards toxic positivity or hopeless doom and gloom, leaving little room for the complexity of our full emotional palettes.
Thank you, Jason for linking wabi-sabi and high lonesome. The closest I can think of in the Filipino psyche is the “kundiman” which is 19th /20th c music (which some folks still appreciate these days.) it was borne with the stirrings of the formation of national consciousness ushered in by 3 centuries of spanish colonization, and yet, is rooted in the colonizer’s old subculture of the troubadours. It’s a contraction of the phrase “kung hindi man” -- “if it never comes to pass” an expression of hope-no-hope duality of unrequited love. As a person, high lonesome or kundiman can also be felt even when one has a close family and partner to share life with. I find high lonesome, wabi sabi, kundiman, as a basic condition of being human. Who was it who said, “alone we are born, and alone we shall die.” Or something like that?
Thanks for sharing that bit of Filipino culture. I'm going to have to learn more about kuniman music.
His timing was awful
entering at the climax of the film
Oh how I miss him now.
I love this haiku!
Recall a poet
Whose name was writ in water
As the clouds drift by
This is wonderful!
Thanks. Great post!
Wow. Jason this is good! The longing, the beautiful sadness in these songs... I feel like autumn sings to us in a high lonesome way about how to love life and also accept the mystery of death. Today, I'm thinking about one of my favorite wild plants-- Jack-in-the-Pulpit-- and the way it produces heavy bright red berries in its old age, reseeding itself for next spring.
Once tall but bent now.
Can't hold this fruit forever.
Life comes 'round again.
Oh, and here's a tune for the high lonesome playlist: "Michigan Cherry" by River Whyless who come from Asheville, NC.
https://youtu.be/cIbPOo6XnMA?si=_0U67eymnJbVaBl3
That’s a perfect song for the playlist. Wow, that was beautiful.
Thank you. Your haiku bid beautiful! I first fell in love with the Jack-in-the-pulpit plant when I heard it’s name. The first time I saw one, I was so happy it lived up to its whimsical name.
This wonderful post and the term ‘high lonesome’ brings to my mind the Irish word for lonely, ‘uaigneas’, which in a sentence could be expressed, ‘Tá uaigneas orm’, ‘There is sadness / loneliness on me’. The interesting thing to me is the word’s root in ‘uaigh’ which means ‘grave’ (burial place, not the demeanour). Surely the ultimate ‘lonesome’?
That is so cool to learn! Truly we all go the grave alone.