poetry

Through A Child’s Eyes

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Through A Child’s Eyes

The mind of a child, so gentle and free
Slow down for awhile and like them you’ll see.
The glass is half full, the milk doesn’t spill
You can do all you desire, if you make it your will.
Happiness comes from a picnic in the park
Your Scooby-Doo light that glows in the dark.
Your mom takes your hand and she holds you tight
Love so devoted, she doesn’t let you out of sight.
Life knocks you down, but you get up and go
Unscathed by the world, your feelings show.
You speak your mind and you stand up tall
You can be anything you want; you can have it all.
Somewhere along the journey your path gets cut
And in your face, a door slammed shut.
You lose yourself as you find your way
Sometimes you’re alone at the end of the day.
At times there is sorrow, but joy comes around
Nothing more precious than a child’s sound.
A little laugh will carry you through despair
A small hug show how much that they care.
Soon you’ll remember what it was like
Trading your tricycle in for a bike.
Eating ice cream as it dripped down your face
Crossing the line as you finish a race.
When it’s not life that matters but what matters in life
You’ll begin to see the joy turned from strife.
Tears will fall less often, you’ll become a fighter
The dreary days you have will become much brighter.
So live and let loose, go a little wild
Just don’t forget what it was like to be a child.

~ Jennifer R. W. Vargas

May 11, 2009

May we be reminded in these times that life can still hold so many possibilities. Dreams can still be attainable and there is hope still to be found.

poetry

Daddy’s Girl – For All the Daughters Who Have Lost Their Dad

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One of the greatest gifts a dad can give to their child, is just being present in their life. The time dads spend with their children does not go unnoticed. Dad’s can be so fun and full of energy and life. Strong enough to lift you over their head and fast enough to chase you around. Brave enough to go on camping trips and adventurous enough to take you on hikes and go fishing.

father and child having fun
Photo by Tatiana Syrikova on Pexels.com

They say that being a daddy’s girl is one of the greatest things. A man who sets an example of how to be strong yet gentle, firm but kind. Having an unbreakable bond with a dad is so important. Not everyone has that, so if you do, treasure it. Be kind to those who have lost it, for it’s a pain that is hard to bear.

If there’s anything we’ve learned over this last year, it’s how not to take things and people for granted. The time we get to spend with them. The memories we have shared and the hard ways we have had to say goodbye to some of the most important people in our lives.

I know some incredibly strong young women personally who have lost their dads over this last year, and even more before then. I hope this poem I wrote inspired by one of those special young ladies, helps more of you to heal who have lost that irreplaceable man in your life.

I want to encourage you to keep those memories alive, in any way possible. They might even make you feel closer to your dad, even though he is physically no longer with you.

Photo used with permission

Daddy’s Girl

Nothing can quite explain the emptiness of you not being here
Each day I wake up and have to relive my worst fear.
I think about something, I instantly have to share
I pick up the phone, then remember you’re not there.
Who am I supposed to call when my car breaks down?
Who will intimidate my new boyfriend when I bring him around?
Who is going to tell the jokes, no one else thinks are funny?
Or give me advice on how to invest my money?
What about those weekend trips we spent out by the lake?
And all the father-daughter memories I’m supposed to make?
What do I do when Father’s Day comes each June?
Or when people expect me to move on, but it feels too soon?
When will the days not seem quite as tough?
My time with you was simply not enough.
I’m not sure how to move forward, without feeling such grief
Or be mad that cancer took you from me like a thief.
I’ll try to remember all the memories we’ve shared
And how lucky I was, to have a dad that really cared.
The memories we’ve shared, won’t be hard to find
I’ve engraved each one, so they will be fresh on my mind.
There still will be times, where more tears are shed,
But I’ll try not to lose sight of all the life I have ahead.
The lessons I’ve learned will shape the life I lead,
I know you’d want me to live a full life and succeed.
I’ll look after mom, she’s still in good hands
And we’ll still include you in all of our plans.
We’ll visit you often and talk every day
And laugh as we imagine exactly what you’d say.
Know that I love you and that I’ll always remember
The wonderful memories we’ve experienced together.
You’ll always be with me; I’ll carry you in my heart
And even though it seems like it, we won’t feel that far apart.
I’ll find the strength I need, please know that I’ll be fine
And I’ll forever be thankful that you were once mine.

~ Jennifer R. W. Vargas

Related poems: Never Truly Gone (Loss of a Spouse)

A song about a daughter losing her daddy.
Music

Kalie Shorr Releases New Single “My Voice” – Listen!

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Kalie Shorr is giving fans a glimpse of her personal reflections with the release of “My Voice,” her honest and unabashed tale of her journey as a Nashville singer-songwriter. Still celebrating the success of her debut album Open Book, No. 7 on New York Times’ all-genre Best Albums of 2019 list, Shorr is turning the page to a new chapter with Open Book: Unabridged coming later this year. “My Voice” is just the first page of this new chapter, continuing her truth-filled and authentically irreverent point of view. With sonic influences from her diverse country roots and mid-2000s pop-punk, Kalie Shorr doubles down on her self-assured, rebelliously-unique sound. Listen to “My Voice” here.

Variety recently called her “the most attention-getting DIY artist in country [music],” a trait that recently landed Shorr her first recording contract with New York based major player TMWRK Records.

“I never thought I’d get to release ‘My Voice.’ I wrote it in March of 2019, the week before we started recording Open Book. I was going into the studio with this sense of confidence that I hadn’t had before, like I knew that album was going to change my life. I still had plenty of episodes of self-doubt, but writing that song was so cathartic and empowering for me. When it came time to pick songs for the extended version of the album (Open Book: Unabridged), I threw that in the Dropbox not expecting anything. The head of my new label championed it from day one. I’m so happy I get to let people hear my truly unfiltered thoughts on the music business and my career. When I wrote it, it was more of a stream of consciousness musing on the industry and now it’s turned into a personal mantra,” says Shorr.

Some of music’s most esteemed critics praised Open Book. Rolling Stone compares the record to a mix of “Shania Twain, Red-era Taylor Swift, Dashboard Confessional and Alanis Morissette,” while Taste of Country calls it “bold,” “raw,” and “real.” As for Shorr, NPR touts the singer/songwriter as “one of Nashville’s most promising” and in the U.K., The Guardian dubbed Shorr “the new queen of country”.

Last month, Shorr launched a podcast in partnership with iHeartMedia called “Too Much To Say with Kalie Shorr,” executive produced by nationally syndicated radio host Bobby Bones. “My Voice” is her first release on TMWRK Records.

Features

Sarah Harralson Gives Listeners Insight to Single “Put a Rock on This Rolling Stone”

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Nashville country artist, Sarah Harralson, recently released her new single, “Put a Rock on This Rolling Stone” under Busy at Play Publishing, which is her newest release since her collaborative album ‘West of Me’ in May 2019. This is her first released track since signing with producer Johnny Garcia (Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood), and it brings her music to a whole new level.

“Put a Rock on This Rolling Stone” means pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Harralson states, “The song is about someone who is a free spirit and an independent person, but at some point they want to settle down once they find the right person. I relate to this a lot, and I think a lot of others do too.” This East Tennessean native has influences of The Dixie Chicks, Jewel, and Alanis Morissette, which you can hear in her music.

Although the song was finished in mid-March, Harralson was unsure of when to put the song out into the world in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. “At the time, a lot of artists were postponing their tours and music releases, so I decided the beginning of summer would be the best time to release the single. After all, people want happy, feel-good songs in the summer. I had no idea it ended up being the perfect time to release it. Things were opening up again, and with all of the shotgun courthouse & zoom weddings due to canceled wedding ceremonies, it ended up being the perfect song for people to add to their wedding playlists. Because at the end of the day, people are just ready to put a rock on it instead of waiting!”

A couple days after the song was released, Harralson gave us another surprise with the music video for “Put a Rock on This Rolling Stone”. She says, “Another challenge was figuring out the music video concept. I originally wanted to have a party scene in the video with some people, but I knew it would be safer at the time to only have myself in the video. I like that we went with this concept instead because it promotes social distancing, but it also made sense to have just myself in the video since a rolling stone usually is alone when they’re moving from one place to the next.”

We asked her if she still considers herself to be a rolling stone: “I think I will always have a free spirit in me, but at the end of the day, I do want to settle down and have that true love, which I really feel like I have found.  I think all gypsy souls feel like they will never find the one until it just comes to them one day. I will always advocate love because there is truly nothing better, and if you are unsure if you will ever find it, don’t look so hard for it, just be patient.”

Sarah’s Socials:

About Sarah Harralson:

This Knoxville native began writing songs when she was ten years old, her grandfather, a bluegrass musician, being her biggest musical influence. After her grandfather passed in 2011, Sarah decided she would move to Nashville two years later to pursue music at Belmont University. A year after releasing her debut EP in 2014, she was discovered by Scotty Schultz, drummer of Shooter Jennings (Waylon Jennings’s son). Scotty opened up his publishing company, Raindrop Music LLC, in 2015 and after hearing Sarah’s original song “Watered Down Whiskey”, he knew he wanted to sign her right away. This would be Sarah’s first publishing deal. Scotty decided he would produce her first country EP, Watered Down Whiskey, of all original songs that Sarah has either written or co-written.

One of the tracks on the EP includes the song, “Radio Static” that was co-written with Johnny Garcia (lead guitar for Garth Brooks). Over time, Sarah began writing and working with Johnny, which evolved to the point where Sarah would sign her next publishing and artist development deal with Busy at Play Publishing (Johnny Garcia’s company). She is currently recording her next record with Johnny and you can expect to hear her new singles soon. Besides performing, Sarah also produces music herself and decided to release a collaborative album with co-writer Christine Bauer in early 2019 that she self-produced. She also plays at hospitals once a month for Musicians On Call. Sarah hopes that her music will help people in some way across the world. She is a big believer that music heals.

Music

Lindsay Ell Releases Vulnerable and Cathartic ‘Heart Theory’ Album

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It might be hard to remember a time when Lindsay Ell was not a well-known artist. Now, she has billboards up across the country and rose to the top of the itunes charts with the release of her sophomore album Heart Theory. If you are still unfamiliar with Ell’s work, it’s only a matter of time before she is a household name. Heart Theory is more than an album, it’s more than just a work of art, it’s a labor of love. Ell has never sounded so in tune with her craft, so powerful, and so moving.

She recently celebrated her first number one song in the US along with Brantley Gilbert for their single “What Happens in a Small Town.” She has previously earned a #1 in Canada with her single “Criminal.” She has made waves over the last few years as she has earned the respect of every artist around. Her hard work ethic, insane talent (girl can shred a guitar), and overall lovable personality has set her a part.

Ell frequently posts instagram stories. Prior to shut down, she was always on a plane or bus, making it to the next gig. She recently completed a 24 hour live stream to celebrate the release of Heart Theory. How does she do it?

Heart Theory lets us see a vulnerable side to Ell, as she opens up about past hurts and struggles. She recently told her story about being a survivor of rape and started the “Make You Movement,” after her song “Make You” in which she deals with the trauma of being raped at age 13 and again at 21.

The first single off the record, “Want Me Back” was also co-written by fellow Country Artist, Kane Brown. It marks Brown’s first cut as a song writer by an outside artist! it was also written with Matt McGinn and Lindsay Rimes.

heart theory track listing(with writers) (If you look closely, the bold letters spell out Heart Theory)!

a journey through the seven stages of grief

shock

“Hits me” (Lindsay Ell, Tyler Hubbard, Corey Crowder)

denial

“how good” (Lindsay Ell, Brandy Clark)

“i don’t lovE you” (Adam Hambrick, Melissa Fuller, Neil Medley)

anger

“wAnt me back” (Lindsay Ell, Kane Brown, Matt McGinn, Lindsay Rimes)

“get oveR you” (Lindsay Ell, Gordie Sampson, Kelly Archer)

“wrong girl” (Lindsay Ell, Steph Jones, Matt McGinn, Luke Niccoli)

bargaining

“body language of a breakup” (Lindsay Ell, Laura Veltz, Sam Ellis)

depression

“good on you” (Lindsay Ell, Sam Ellis, Micah Premnath)

testing

“The oTHEr side” (Lindsay Ell, Jessie Jo Dillon, Matt McGinn)

“gO to” (Lindsay Ell, Nicolle Gaylon, Jordan Reynolds)

acceptance

“make you” (Lindsay Ell, Brandy Clark)

“ReadY to love” (Lindsay Ell, Jessie Jo Dillon, Matt McGinn, Joey Hyde)

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