The Lovers’ Chronicle 10 October – wild night – death of Edith Piaf – art by Maurice Prendergast

Dear Zazie, Here is today’s Lovers’ Chronicle from Mac Tag dedicated to his muse. Who has appeared in your life? Rhett

The Lovers’ Chronicle

Dear Muse,

comes from a line in a 2016 poem
about one of my nights campin’ out
but coulda been about regret
on the day la Môme Piaf died
“Or your favorite movie”
yes, inextricably linked
i think i can do all three,
i believe our wild nights
and regrets are behind us
and there is no need
to spin the totem
because we know
each day starts with us

which will you have, the events of the evenin’, or regret, yeah, lets go there, i can hear the first notes, non, je ne regrette rien, we should get ready for the kick, or we could go deeper, stay longer enjoy this place we have created, we can catch the next kick and ride up, meanwhile the night awaits us

yes, absolutely
what has been done
what is to come

yes, we remember

renewed feelin’s
light the fire,
our pleasures,
we need this

swept up,
and all that follows,
swept up,
the refrain
throw each other
into beginnin’

yes, absolutely,
i believe

because today,
starts with you

Pale Love, Pale Rider

plenty of those goin’ on here,
dependin’ on the movies
bein’ watched and the verse

could be about regret
with the death
of La Môme Piaf

though we have none
hauntin’ us

no face, or place stalkin’ our days,
nothin’ in the rear view lurkin’
to pull us down

just another wild night
for the Muse and i

desert scene

you cannot believe
how good it is to live
in the thickness of this

of course, one carries upon
oneself the imprint of visions
that divert us from our wounds,
and become indispensable to us

on the threshold of renewal
perhaps such inclination
blossoms in our flesh

perhaps,
livin’ at the edge
is the only way
to understand

but if you do,
make dang sure
you study and observe
everything along the way
so you can write about it

all i have goin’ for me,
really, i did a good job
of pokin’ and proddin’
the feelin’s
felt in the aftermath
of one crash and burn
love affair after another

obviously, still fueled,
sortin’ through the debris
and will be for awhile

one of the reasons why
as is, is all there will be

plenty of those goin’ on here
dependin’ on the movies
and Saturday Night Live

on the weekends,
might tie one on
have an aperitif,
wine with supper
and a digestif
might even chase
the green fairy

also depends on the verse
sometimes
have to tighten the cinch
before ridin’ the emotional
highs and lows

tellin’ you, wild and crazy stuff

ridin’ up the canyon,
twilight gathers
night enfolds the pass
sky darkens; stars begin
to show; unsaddle,
make camp,
whiskey by the fire

as is
a consequence

out of joy, sorrow born
memory of past bliss,
anguish of today
ecstasies
that might have been

the night’s wildness,
loneliness, silence,
darkness, and trains
of radiant stars

sleep comes with an ache

It is mine:
To foretell, construe,
comprehend and
interpret you

bottle of whiskey, by the fire,
composed to await sleep
night on the High Plains
most satisfyin’

A day in history note for you and a song.

On this day in 1963, French singer and cultural icon Édith Piaf died at her villa on the French Riviera. The song, “Non, je ne regrette rien” is featured extensively in one of my favorite movies, Christopher Nolan’s 2010 film Inception. In the movie, the extraction agents who infiltrate dreams use the song as a signal to warn their companions that they are about to be woken up. The film stars Marion Cotillard, who portrayed Piaf in the film, La Vie En Rose. Here are the lyrics of the day:

Non, je ne regrette rien

Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu’on m’a fait
Ni le mal; tout ça m’est bien égal !

Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
C’est payé, balayé, oublié
Je me fous du passé !

Avec mes souvenirs
J’ai allumé le feu
Mes chagrins, mes plaisirs
Je n’ai plus besoin d’eux !

Balayées les amours
Et tous leurs trémolos
Balayés pour toujours
Je repars à zéro

Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu’on m’a fait
Ni le mal; tout ça m’est bien égal !

Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
Car ma vie, car mes joies
Aujourd’hui, ça commence avec toi

No, I regret nothing

No, absolutely nothing
No, I regret nothing
Neither the good that’s been done to me,
Nor the bad; it is all the same!

No, absolutely nothing,
No, I regret nothing.
It is paid for, swept up, forgotten
I don’t give a damn about the past!

With my memories
I lit up the fire.
My shame, my pleasures,
I no longer need them.

Swept up love affairs,
And all of their faltering,
Swept up forever,
I start again from scratch

No, absolutely nothing
No, I regret nothing.
Neither the good that has been done to me,
Nor the bad; it is all the same

No, absolutely nothing,
No, I regret nothing.
Because my life, because my joy,
Today, starts with you.

The song of the day is Piaf’s version of “Non, je ne regrette rien”.

My life, my joy, started with you. Without you, there is no joy.

Maurice Prendergast
in 1913, photo by Gertrude Käsebier

Today is the birthday of Maurice Prendergast (Maurice Brazil Prendergast; St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador; October 10, 1858 – February 1, 1924); Post-Impressionist artist who worked in oil, watercolor, and monotype. He exhibited as a member of The Eight, though the delicacy of his compositions and mosaic-like beauty of his style differed from the artistic intentions and philosophy of the group.