The word, the poet, and the tattoo

If I was a sculptor, but, but then again, no
Or a woman who makes potions on a traveling show
I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song, and this one's for you

Elton John's "Your Song" explains a lot.

To express our deepest feelings, and do it well, it always comes back to understanding who we are.

Our gifts of expression.

Like sculpting a statue, mixing a gypsy potion, or writing a love song.

But before we can master it the way Elton did - or the way Michelangelo did - we need to tap into who we are.

We need to find the piano. The chisels and brushes and pigments. The words.

Without the tools we've each been gifted, we're just amateurs. Accidentally meaningful expressions, off-key melodies, meaningless words, or chipped blocks of marble.

Call it what you will... The soul. The potential that lies within us. The who we are that emerges during our best, brightest, moments. Cosmic gifts. Our superpowers.

They're revealed in the flash of lightening when we discover our goodness.

But the discovery is akin to safe-cracking.

The soul tells us, "You want the code? Come find it." Until we do, it stays locked.

It's sneaky. It offers options. Hallways filled with doors. Pick one.

Ask any writer. Any artist. Any poet or performer. Their best works of creativity and expression cannot happen without tapping into that special part of the mind. Often, they describe it as a connection to a higher level of consciousness.

From an UltraCulture article, we learn that "Throughout history, shamans, yogis, psychonauts and magicians have sought to map the levels of consciousness that it’s possible for human beings to access. This is where we’ve inherited incredible models like the chakras and the Sephira of the Tree of Life..."

Timothy Leary also believed in it. Inspired by the Hindu chakra system, he created a map of "Eight Circuits" of consciousness. And he postulates that some can only be accessed with substances that help us unlock doors on the highest circuits. Scientific neural research have recently proved Leary to be exactly right.

The highest circuits are mastered by shamans and monks. And perhaps people like Tesla, Da Vinci, Einstein, van Gogh, Mozart. Mathematicians Carl Gauss and Alan Turing.

When the writer feels connected to his inner self, his deepest emotions, the words flow from soul to page. The 13th century Persian poet, Rumi, is a good example. His words of love are simple, true, and philosophical.

Not every poet needs affirmation. Not every artist or writer needs critical acclaim. Their works are usually the expression of their cosmic selves. Their expressions of goodness attract like-minded souls.



Some express themselves in simple ways. Like a tattoo - perhaps a heart, an infinity symbol, or a lion. Or a personal symbol of memory or inspiration. And that's beautiful too.

We are all imperfect. But within ourselves, if we look hard enough, we can unlock doors behind which are amazing gifts. Gifts of the soul.

Once found, our expression is the word, the poem, the tattoo, the sculpture. The love.

Or the song.

Your Song.

Citations:
Your Song
Released 26 October 1970
Recorded January 1970
Studio Trident Studios
(London, England)
Length 4:03
Label UniDJM
Songwriter(s)
Elton JohnBernie Taupin
Producer(s) Gus Dudgeon