Merrell Street

OscarLady

Let me get this on the record right now before all the awards start coming and the banter gets buzzing.  Meryl Streep WILL win the Oscar for IRON LADY.  I'm basing this on nothing more than intuition.  

I haven't seen the movie.  I have seen the trailer and it looks like it could be a terrible film or really great.  I'm not usually thrilled when she plays political roles but I stand by my prediction.

She will win.  

I'll be happy and count it as a belated win for JULIE & JULIA and countless others in between.

Moths Break

There's soot on your nose from the times you said
Yes

There's hype in your house from the curls and the
Swagger

I heap the hurrays onto my own cup and 
Forget

To check.

"The song is over isn't it."  You say this and pull
a tissue from your
Pocket.

To nights of singing and refregerator
Jokes.  And Jigs.

I speak this don't I?  I think I speak this now.

"Love envies itself sometimes."
This I do say and drop the ring to the
Floor

Then close the door.

Deck the Balls

So yesterday marked the end of a ten-year public singing silence for me. The last time was just over ten years ago at my father's funeral.  My offering wasn't Fritz Wunderlich (yet) but I was happy enough with it. As were others.

My friend, Scott, came up to me afterwards and said, "I had no idea. No idea you could sing like that."

For me, the best post-singing advice came from my good friend, Kristin - a woman who has one of the most gorgeous lyric soprano voices I've ever heard. Without batting an eye, she said, "Jason, you have a beautiful and powerful instrument in that voice of yours. I still want to hear more 'testicular fortitude!' Do you hear that?"

Ha! Yes, Kristin. Yes I do.

So here's to that. Three cheers to testicular fortitude! Not the kind that uses a femur bone to crush a foe. But the kind that delights, dances, and fills the room with a voice of one's own.