The Day I can still recall the day, Earnest Hemingway went away. The breathless talk of what he’d done. As the father so the son. After all of these years. The words still ringing in my ears. Just when they said that he’s all through, The Pulitzer and Nobel too. He wrote of life under the sun. The 20th Century Solomon. And too explained it in the end, Through Santiago and his friend. The Gospel writ to large to see. The truth for all humanity. His other self would never die. The irony makes you want to cry. The silence of a dozen years, Days of youth just disappears. Decades more clear out of sight, Until Up North roots come to light. I can still recall the day, Earnest Hemingway went away. Hemingways Near Death Experience: http://www.iands.org/nde-stories/17-nde-accounts-from-beyond-the-light.html http://www.timelesshemingway.com/content/idealizedself

This song was written for my wife's grandmother Irene. Hemingway wrote a short story called The Butterfly & the Tank, which is not included in the "Complete Edition"of his short stories like a few other short stories such as "Three Shots." There is a reason behind this. It was not the right place in the life cycle of a man as he goes from youth and innocence into manhood and encounters the reality of death. In doing so he realizes that he will one day die. Coping with this reality and living life in the face of it is. This is what Hemingway wrote about. The butterfly does not understand war. War does not understand the butterfly. War can survive without understanding the butterfly. The butterfly cannot survive without understanding war. And so, it does not. What in another context would be mere playfulness, it is met with brutality. But-ta-Fly A caterpillar was heard to cry. A stranger stopped and asked him why. He said it cuz I just don’t want to die. The stranger said it’s only stasis, So you can soar to brand new places. In beauty that will dazzle every eye, not to die. But to fly. But to fly. But to fly. Um humm. In tears the caterpillar cocooned. The days went by then one afternoon, He opened up his brand new eyes, and realized, He could fly. He could fly. He could fly. Um humm. So if you see a caterpillar, fighting metamorphosis, Tell him he’s not made for this, not to die. But ta. But ta fly. But to fly. Um humm. ~Select the link below ~Right-click on it ~Open in a new TAB ~The listen to a fire a fire-side telling of The Butterfly & the Tank. Image by PSCHUBERT http://www.morguefile.com/archive/#/?q=butterfly

Bull Fight Let’s go to a bullfight baby, let’s go tonight. Let’s go to a bullfight baby, let’s go watch them fight. Death in the Afternoon, is such a bloody sight. Speaks to our mortality. Something here ain’t right. Let’s go to a bullfight baby, let’s go tonight. Let’s go to a bullfight baby, let’s go watch them fight. Passions are aroused; both for and against. Searching for the meaning, and of life’s essence. ___ Let’s go to a bullfight baby, let’s go tonight. Let’s go to a bullfight baby, let’s go watch them fight.

CLICK THE ARROW ABOVE TO PLAY THE SONG Hemingway may be the most misunderstood writer of the 20th Century. Many thought him to be an atheist because of a remark in A Farewell to Arms and his seeming lack of discussion of God. But Hemingway pointed out in his Nobel acceptance comments that "a writer should write what he has to say and not speak it." The Nick Adams stories, distributed throughout his larger works here and there were also a bit of a mystery. But we finally understand when we encounter Santiago, who is unlike Hemingway's other protagonists. Through Santiago we see that Hemingway tells us the Gospel in letter too large to read. All grown up now from his days in "Up North" Michigan, Nick Adams is now catching bigger fish. He is a changed man. The local people call him by a new name. Through his words we see that Santiago finally understands. We can finally understand too. Santiago shows us the way. He points us to the truth. In the end, the Solomon "in our time" points us to the same conclusion the Solomon of old points us to. Having had it all, and done it all, he points us to "the whole duty of man." Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: "I'm sorry fish. I went out too far." Santiago apologizes to the fish, repeatedly. He does not apologize for slaying the fish. He apologizes for going out too far. A confession. He must slay the fish even though he loves and respects the fish. The fish is his brother. Santiago must slay his brother in order to be redeemed among the people. It is what has to be done. And when it is done Santiago tells us: "I have killed this fish, who is my brother." It had to be so. It had to be done. Santiago is redeemed among the people. He finally understands. Santiago Santiago, Santiago. Not the boy he used to be in a Mackinaw coat. Santiago, Santiago He finally under stands, he finally understands. Wishing on the one hand, praying for the other. Sorry for going out too far, Not for slaying his brother. Santiago, Santiago. He finally understands, he finally understands. It’s not by the meat that they steal, that redeems a man, but by the blood at your feet, dripping from your hand. Santiago, Santiago. He finally understands, he finally understands. Let’s be a little Earnest here, at the end of the show. It doesn’t matter that they don’t know the fish, You didn’t slay him for to amuse tourists. Santiago, Santiago Not the boy he used to be in a Mackinaw coat. Santiago, Santiago. He finally understands, he finally understands. ~~~ He finally understands, he finally understands. Santiago, Santiago. He finally understands, he finally understands.