Music From the Purple House
I am a musician who, in addition to writing my own music, plays the traditional and early music of the British Isles and Italy. As a vocalist who also plays dulcimer, recorder, pennywhistle and harp, I have performed in Medieval and Renaissance Festivals, including ten seasons at the New York Renaissance Faire; as well as Charity events, benefits, and First Nights. My previous bands were A Couple Of Note and The Broad Street Troubadours, with whom I've recorded two CDs. I am now soloing as "Una Cantante" and have played at the Cape May Renaissance Festival, The Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon Park in New York, and The Belmar Art Walk in Belmar NJ. In 2012, A Couple of Note, donated a performance to raise money for the Red Cross to help victims of Superstorm Sandy.
I have been a featured artist on the "Notes From New England" portion of "The Wimmin's Show" on KZUM radio, and was interviewed by Colette O'Connor.
Poetry
Maybe, one day, I'll organize the poetry I've written into a book but, for now and as per whim, I'll share two or three of them here.
TO THE WINGED GODDESS
Enfold me, Lady, softly in your wings,
Till stellar flights carry me away
from this Earthbound pain of a mortal’s womb
Where my babies slept and the reaper
wields his blade.
Let me fly as crystals of Light
to a blessed lonely place
Whose peace swells in a hush
under the flutes of planets,
Where the water is a clear reflection
of ageless wishes in a time
When past lives’ Karma comes home
to a woman’s burning soul
Dreaming, at last, of a wish unspent,
Till the motion of Earth and the passing of years
Brings Love home in Karma’s wake,
When yearning wells in a frantic hum
of consummate white of flesh upon flesh,
And runs me through – Love’s savage wound –
There lies a heart that harbors an exquisite sorrow,
As beneath the fiery passion of a flaming sky
Lies the cold, old power of rocks.
Enfold me, Lady, softly in your wings,
Lost in a spell of mugwort and blue
I am the dreamer.
Entice me, now, to stay forever;
And the dead really sleep
As we share the stars.
TO A DREAM LOVER UPON AWAKENING
You said you are the Sun of Kings and
I am the Queen of Queens;
What a lovely fantasy of us reigning together
over love – in love – but never above it,
For we are ordinary, my love,
maybe a little unique,
But no better than any other spirit that flies.
The bait was in that we felt so right,
and we did, for a moment, soar so high
That I could believe, just then,
that you were the Son of Mars and I
some distant goddess;
Surely, my hair turned red beneath your eyes.
But never on a cold, cold night could I feel
anything betrayed,
though you left me frightened and alone
‘til the end of our days,
Promising to return and not ever meaning
a word you would say,
You went in a blaze of darkness and mournful lies.
And now I hover sadly low, feeling the wind
fade from beneath my wings;
And I want to say “I loved you truly”
to your absent face
which once smiled on mine so sweetly –
I’m haunted by your farewell’s poisoned sting,
And my heart’s song is silenced to whispers
and endless sighs.
HOPE
Unusual for the light in which we shine
to sound in chords of music
that leap from night air
in the hands
of soft summer.
A memory breaking the waves of mourning
stillness for lost warmth
and sleeping trees
for we miss our friends’ laughing song;
but the echo of their patient branches
tell us that it’s been before.
Winter winds whip our hair into our faces
and blind us as we slip on ice
till we can see, through frozen tears,
the evergreens dance.
Ukulele Sirens
Songs for the Sea
I am so proud to have been asked to contribute a couple of my poems to this wonderful group of artists who are working for an excellent cause!
All the profits of this album are given to different organisation to help protect the ocean (marine mamal association, coral.org, 1% for the planet)!
You can find the album on their website, Songs for the Sea!
My poetry can be found here!
All Poetry © Jodi DiLiberto. All rights reserved.