Minutes had only just passed before I arrived at the scene of the crash. There was no eye witnesses to talk too. There was only a few people who saw the aftermath immediately after the crash.
Kevin and Nora heard the crash as they were leaving House Gallery 1816 on Frankfort Avenue by Berks Street. They too live on Frankford Avenue. A friend was suppose to come soon and they wanted to meet him. The driver that caused the accident was held by the Police for driving drunk. A front seat passenger ran away once all the vehicles came to rest.
I was told that one person was injured and taken to the hospital. It didn't appear that they were seriously injured but the truth is not known. Shock has a way of disguising how hurt a person can be. This comes from my own experience when I was broad sided and flipped over in my car.
I was invincible when I climbed out of the car. That feeling remained at the hospital as the doctor removed glass from my eye and both ears. The doctor was surprised just how flexible I was with movement. He then firmly warned not to move about because he diagnosed and correctly so, that I was in shock. It took another twelve hours before it all hit. I could barely walk and all the bruising told me that I was not invincible.
The pictures will show why these two people, who reported the event, and those at the scene were so wide eyed from what had happened. (This report is not complete and my contain some errors.)
Too many years have passed since I last heard Francoise Hardy sing. I was familiar with her songs. There was much new music to discover on short wave radio. "Oh, Oh Cheri" caught me by both ears because it was fun. It didn't matter if it was in French. It was catchy. It was fun. It was the flip side of the record, "Tous les garçons et les filles" that put her on the road to fame. Fame she handled well in a subdued quiet manner, but it was "Ça a rate" that was etched in my musical mind with snapping fingers.
It was this song that got me to explore many others on the radio and also in film. I watched every foreign film just to hear the sound track. I had fun with girls who wanted to see a foreign film at the Theater of the Living Arts, the World and the Lyric. These movie houses are long gone and so are those young girls I once knew. Thank you.
It was by accident that I rediscovered Francoise while searching You Tube. I was searching for Charles Tenet singing "La Mer". You'll recognize the melody after a few seconds.
There she was waiting for me to click the link to go on a journey in songs. I listened to over one hundred and fifty songs over three days to pick out some favorites. The first song I clicked on was actually sung in German, "Traume". Yea, it's another melody you'll recognize.
Francoise sang not only in French but also German, Spanish and English. Wikipedia tells her story much better than I can.
But this is my story. Another part was finding foreign songs and having them translated. God bless the Internet and computers for making it easy.
I presented the translation of "La vi en rose" and posted it for Valentine's Day.
It's all about how others around the world sing of love or sorrow or most anything. It's the structure of the words and music that teaches new and different way to say what is in our heart. I even looked back at one of the best written songs of love, "These Foolish Things". It reminds me of many places and faces because my joy was to allow myself to get so stupid with a women, if you know what I mean.
I managed to narrow it down to near forty songs by Francoise. I end it with one.
Fais-moi une place au fond d'ta bulle
Et si j't'agace, si j'suis trop nulle
Je deviendrai tout pâle, tout muet, sans vie pour qu'tu m'oublies.
Fais-moi une place au fond d'ton coeur
Pour que j't'embrasse lorsque tu pleures.
Je deviendrai tout fou, tout clown, gentil pour qu'tu souries.
Je veux qu't'aies jamais mal, qu't'aies jamais froid
Et tout m'est égal, tout, à part toi, je t'aime.
Fais-moi une place dans ton avenir
Pour que j'ressasse moins mes souvenirs.
J'aurai jamais mon air éteint, hautain pour qu'tu soies bien.
Fais-moi une place dans tes urgences
Dans tes audaces, dans ta confiance.
Je s'rai jamais distant, distrait, cruel pour qu't'aies disert.
J'veux pas qu'tu t'ennuies, j'veux pas qu't'aies peur.
J'voudrais qu'tu oublies l'goût du malheur, je t'aime.
Une petite place ici, maint'nant car le temps passe à pas d'géant
Je me ferai toute neuve, toute belle, tout ça, pour être à toi.
Je me ferai toute neuve, toute belle, tout ça, pour être à toi.
Oh will you never let me be?
Oh will you never set me free?
The ties that bound us are still around us
There's no escape that I can see
And still those little things remain
That bring me happiness or pain
A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces
An airline ticket to romantic places
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things
Remind me of you
A tinkling piano in the next apartment
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
A fairground's painted swings
These foolish things
Remind me of you
You came, you saw, you conquered me
When you did that to me, I somehow knew that this had to be
The winds of march that make my heart a dancer
A telephone that rings - but who's to answer?
Oh, how the ghost of you clings
These foolish things
Remind me of you
Gardenia perfume lingering on a pillow
Wild strawberries only seven francs a kilo
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things
Remind me of you
The park at evening when the bell has sounded
The isle de France with all the gulls around it
The beauty that is spring
These foolish things
Remind me of you
I know that this was bound to be
These things have haunted me
For you've entirely enchanted me
The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
Silk stockings thrown aside, and sinvitations
Oh, how the ghost of you clings
These foolish things
Remind me of you
First daffodils and long excited cables
And candlelight on little corner tables
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things
Remind me of you
The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses
The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
The song that Crosby sings
These foolish things
Remind me of you
How strange, how sweet to find you still
These things are dear to me
That seem to bring you so near to me
The scent of smouldering leaves, the wail of steamers
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
Oh, how the ghost of you clings
These foolish things
Remind me of you, just you
Edith Piaf was no stranger as a musical artist in my extended family. Every one in the world knew the melody of "La Vie en Rose." Not many outside of those who spoke French knew or understood the words and meaning.
An English version was recorded and released for the American market. The lyrics were re-written to fit the measure of the music. The French must have cursed and cried aloud knowing the passion of the lyrics were reduced to sterility.
I leave it to you to find and hear the English version. I refuse to be a part of this version.
The passion of love is something that I will not surrender.
La Vie en Rose
Eyes that gaze into mine, A smile that is lost on his lips— That is the unretouched portrait Of the man to whom I belong.
When he takes me in his arms And speaks softly to me, I see life in rosy hues. He tells me words of love, Words of every day, And in them I become something. He has entered my heart, A part of happiness Whereof I understand the reason. It’s he for me and I for him, throughout life, He has told me, he has sworn to me, for life. And from the things that I sense, Now I can feel within me My heart that beats.
In endless nights of love, A great delight that comes about, The pains and bothers are banished, Happy, happy to die of love.
When he takes me in his arms And speaks softly to me, I see life in rosy hues. He tells me words of love, Words of every day, And in them I become something. He has entered my heart, A part of happiness Whereof I understand the reason. It’s he for me and I for him, throughout life, He has told me, he has sworn to me, for life. And from the things that I sense, Now I can feel within me My heart that beats.
La vie en rose means "life in pink" as expressed in French as we would say "seeing life through rose colored glasses." Is it such a bad thing when the passion of love is beyond regret?
So let it snow by deeds of fun. Bundle up and get to the park. Bring your lover, bring the kids, bring the dog and enjoy the snow. Why stay home and grumble about the weather or just shoveling the pavement? Bundle up and take a walk in the snow. Get a crowd together and play a game of touch tumble snow football. Rendezvous with your secret lover. Make a date young, old or new. Have you ever had a picnic in the snow? You'll never forget it. Such a chance doesn't happen here too often. Swing on the swings. The kids will have great time. The big kids will have just as much fun.
Have you ever kissed in the snow?
Come on out in the snow.
