last minute

A good friend called me a couple of days ago and told me he had two free tickets to a concert that evening. The main band was his friend's band and he happened to be the son of Joan Baez so she was opening up for her sons band. It was a small venue (200+/-) and when we arrived he reserved two seats in the front row for us with our names written out on yellow post-its, the third seat next to mine said Joan, but sat empty half of the evening.


He brought us each a glass of wine and the lights dimmed almost immediately and out she came in orange scarves and suede. Her sons band followed and they performed West-African drum music and were flanked by dancers, then Joan would come out and dance and then by the end everyone was up and dancing in the crowd and they were pulling everyone up onto the small stage with them. I felt like some higher being was dangling me above them all by the backs of my ears so that my toes lightly brushed above the intoxicating vibrating drum cloud which absorbed everyone in its presence. Tears perched upon the high ledge which protects my soul and I let them drop as I exchanged ecstatic glances with the surrounding strangers.

It is a very surreal life which I will be leaving behind here. Very surreal.