After Listening To "Thaïs" Poem by Bill Galvin

After Listening to "Thaïs"
(Pronounced Tay-iss)


This piece puts a smile upon my soul;
It enriches my personality…
Just by listening.

Sometimes the music we listen to
Must move our bodies.

And sometimes the music must be quiet…
And move our souls.

Sometimes a composition reaches into your heart
And ignites feelings like you've rarely had…
Like a love you've ever felt, but never entwined…
Till when…
An expression, a rendering…
Reaching into the very spirit of your humanness,
Switching a light back on…
No word nor lyric needed,
Yet placing an unexpected smile upon your soul…
Just by listening.

You feel;
You imbibe;
You absorb the artistry;
The music touches the core of your being
And paints for you an emotional picture.

It smooths the travel-ways of the present,
And transports you to light-hearted foreverness.

That's what Thaïs does for me,
And it plays over and over till my soul is satisfied.




("Thaïs - Méditation: Arr. for Cello and Piano";
by Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott;
from "Thaïs", a French 1894 opera by Louis Gallet)

(If you do listen, pick a quiet moment with no distraction)