Jax Blog #2 – All Heaven Allows

Hello Folks,

As my blog is principally about my poetry and lyrics, here is a poem I hope one day to turn into a song. All Heaven Allows is meant to go into my TORCH SONG album/folder. Initially written from a male point of view, I found it has more standing from the point of view of a gal carrying a torch. I find it lyrical in a general sense and rather openly personal in the particular view of the speaker or singer. I have a tune for it, but that will have to wait for better funding. So here it is.   

All Heaven Allows

He'd miss me. he'd kiss me
Up in his arms, he'd twist me
And sit me down in a cloud

He'd nudge me, he'd hug me
I'm thanking God above me
Love him with all Heaven allows

Believes me, completely
Sees me as more than I am
I try to be what he sees

I couldn't a lie be
He wouldn't understand
Sadly, our fondest dreams would cease

The past is never quite over
Stray shadows haunting my mind
Sudden bad dreams that wake me as I scream
Fearing that this tender love won't survive

He'd hold me, he'd know me
Like no one else he'd show me
What precious love's all about

None other, discovered
Just him, my guy, my lover
Lovin' him forever, and now
Love him with all Heaven allows

Jack T. Leyton
2007

This is a Torch Song I view as an old Helen Morgan '30's Depression era type song where the gal is sitting on the piano with a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other, praying she doesn't screw up something she wants very much. In the bridge of the poem is a section based on her forebodings of the past. The singer is "all in" emotionally with her lover and is fearful that illumination of her past could end what seems to be a perfect relationship. This lyric was initially meant to fill a broader story line, but as a set piece I wanted to keep the foreboding bridge as listener relatable, since there's none of us that doesn't have some past episodes that we'd rather not bring up. Yet honesty is the best policy and she speaks of that in the fourth stanza, hoping for understanding and maybe forgiveness.

I'd like to lay out more of my Torch Song selections in following blog posts. Most have tunes to go with them, but some don't. As with most of you, I'm waiting for my Lotto number to come in, to finish it all up. For me Torch Song lyrics were a natural evolution from a loner adolescence to adulthood. If I was happy about an event or relationship, I didn't have time to sit and write it down. It's so much easier to write when one is depressed or from a loss. Luckily, this didn't affect my health. I've been too cheap for the usual addictions, so there's not much gritty if any sensationalism there. I figure pasta and sweets are my biggest enemies. And I've been standing way back in that line.

In order to not get too far ahead of myself with my product, I've decided to only blog on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That may prove to be excessive. I hope to use one of those days for new poetry, but right now that's not a given. I'm still going over what I have. Most of my past poetry is in a book of about 140 pages, so I'll be having to shore up the blog with more current creations. As is usual with new projects, I'm flying by the seat of my pants. So there will be hiccups now and again. I hope you can bare with me in those instances as I will try to explain things as I go. So that's it for now. As we still in Pandemicville, Be Well and Stay Safe.