This piece is inspired by a poem of the same name by Pablo Neruda. The poem speaks to me because I too have struggled with the “fool” inside. As we grow older, there seems to be a universal need to appear more confident, intelligent and self-assured. However, I’ve begun to realize that this is an impossible ideal. No matter how much we build ourselves up and insist that we’ve become the people we want to be, the fool still lurks inside us all, ready to tear down our carefully-crafted personas and expose all of our insecurities.
Here is an excerpt from the poem:
Of the many men who I am, who we are,
I can’t find a single one;
They disappear among my clothes,
They’ve left for another city.
When everything seems to be set
To show me off as intelligent,
The fool I always keep hidden
Takes over all that I say.
At other times, I’m asleep
Among distinguished people,
And when I look for my brave self,
A coward unknown to me
Rushes to cover my skeleton
With a thousand fine excuses
[audio:10_We_Are_Many.mp3]
Electroshock Your Face
Panic
This piece is about the struggle to rise above things that we can’t control. When we’ve exhausted all means of solving a problem and the only remaining option is to just walk away. The panic of being trapped in an impossible situation is lifted by the realization that we can still control ourselves, our actions and reactions, even though we can’t control the people around us. The piece is also about appreciating things after they are gone. Everything good has an ending in life, as does life itself. But if we can look back on the things we’ve done and the people we’ve touched along the way, and still appreciate all of the love and happiness that life has given, it makes all of the pain and hardship seem worth it.
[audio:09_Panic.mp3]