Spectacle from one awakening by Colleen Akiko
Spectacle tells the story of searching for and finding my traumatized brother, Peter, busking on the boardwalk at Venice Beach. He had set up his home-base next to a public trash can.
The song uncovers how Peter's homelessness began as "a brilliant boy in a basement room with his model airplanes flying in the shadows." His tragic backstory overlays the raw realities of living on the streets with his tender and very tired heart.
Spectacle calls to attention how homeless people are often treated as if they are nothing more than a curiosity to be stared at.
I pray this song offers a disturbing glimpse into the inner lives of those who are often ignored and marginalized in our society. Its sparse instrumentation highlights hauntingly potent, deeply revealing lyrics that remind listeners that everyone has a hidden story that began in innocence. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion and respect, regardless of their circumstances.
Tracklist
| 2. | Spectacle | 4:30 |
Lyrics
SPECTACLE
“In honor of Peter and his timeless brilliance”
Four feet from the public waste receptacle
there lives a spectacle
Near food fermenting in the coastal sun
my cast-off brother laments
his rebellion come undone
Muttering as he secures
his life’s possessions tucked inside
a weathered box on wheels
His mascot of ingenuity
He pauses now to pray over all he owns
to keep ‘em safe ’til he returns
He holds his breath as he turns away
the ache he feels tells him
there won’t be many days more
Winding through the swarming sidewalk
Wondering how did I find him
He mumbles as we walk
All pretenses are gone
A brilliant boy in a basement room
with his model airplanes flying in the shadows
Banished by the stubbornness that hatched his own
His homelessness becomes his home
Ever sleepless on the street
Dreaming as he sings for coins
to buy some sad relief
His heart cries straight through me
Four feet from the public waste receptacle
there lives a spectacle
copyright © 2012 by Colleen Akiko
Credits
self-produced and recorded
License
All rights reserved.Tags
Bring your heart into the presence and mystery of Awareness via Akiko's expressive chants, ballads & instrumentals.
She self produces her songs from the northern Nevada mountains where she enjoys catalyzing healing connections in diverse gatherings. She's keen on dark chocolate, being with plants, Tai Chi, camping and hiking with her husband and their husky-wolf, Lilah.
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