... my beloved butterfly ... Thoughts of you rest gently in the meadow of my mind Like a butterfly sipping sweet nectar from the center of my bloom You have landed and I find myself stilled by your beauty I slow my breath so the breeze from my dreams and desires Doesn't stir you from your peaceful contentment While you are tasting and being nourished by my essence The world loves you now that you are adorned with all your colors But I loved you when you were shapeless and grey Because I have never seen and known you through eyes alone Your beauty for me is the song that comes from your heart And sings of quiet, gentle, unassuming, unashamed and enduring love You have comforted me with it and brought me to a rest from life's noises Now that you have sprouted wings that can carry you away from me I find myself in selfish fear of that possibility And so now, here I sit... still... quiet... unsure... watching... thinking Afraid to move. I'm not sorry that you have the wings you've always deserved I'm very happy for you And I know that I'm going to feel as much joy in watching you fly as you are But just for now, just for this small moment Between what was and what will be I just want to sit with you, to watch you... to love you When you fly, my beautiful, my dear, my beloved butterfly Always remember this home you shared with me This field of flowers that will always hold blooms full of nectar for you.

~~Silently You Come To Me~~ Silently slipping beneath silky sheets Sliding closer til our bodies meet Quietly forming yourself round my curves This is what I always knew I deserved Lips on my shoulder rouse me from sleep Sighs for my day is finally complete I waited a lifetime for you to come home This destiny my heart has always known I silently waited, you silently came I missed you so much but I didn't complain I never lost faith, but I lost a few tears It's just been so, so many years But now you're here, right behind me Murmuring of loving eternally Front to back, leg over thigh All the answers, no more why You trace every vulnerable part of me Sealing them each in ecstacy You turn me around so I can see Your soul in your eyes while you're loving me You love me hard, so tenderly Impatience claims the best of me You grab my hips as I roll to the top Keep me waiting but don't make me stop Eye to eye, soul to soul You take me now, you take me whole Consume my passion at your will I loved you always, I love you still God made this woman for this man My hearts' long burning fire Whatever I need, you understand Whatever you need, my desire

Totally MAN Strong and proud, majestic in your stride Nothing to prove, nothing to hide All the power to melt and to mould Used only for pleasure in your tender hold Love, This is how my affection grew You're Totally MAN in all that you do Strength of your spirit flows from your hands Storms rise and fall under your command Places in love that I never knew Are suddenly there when I'm with you My passion is kindling to your raging fire You're Totally MAN whom I completely desire I've been faithful to follow my path that is true I've been rewarded by having it lead me to you Your sweetness pulled me in tenderly I fell naturally there by your side Knowing I found a man That nothing I ever had would be denied Everything in you is so beautiful I have no where to go when you're near You've only to whisper my name love And you know I'll always hear Just one lingering look from your eyes Stops my world's turn Leaving me lost inside my dreams Of everything I've always yearned Oh my Love, this is why Why I know I want you A long and deeply contented sigh Moans the truth of it too You are Totally MAN For now I'm left with only the dream While drawing hearts in the sand of Love's shore That one day you won't be as far as you seem But standing assuredly at my heart's door Fitting together like an ancient design Totally MAN .... Totally Mine

I'm glad for any effort in an attempt to recognize, and provide the fair compensation for, the real value, both in quality of life and the economic value, of our musician's. I have long wanted to see a study done on the economic impact of venues, and of communities, where music is a feature attraction. It's my belief that music is more vital and compelling than even realized as we are never left long without its presence. It has been heavily woven into the fabric of every life since recorded time and is a part of every significant life event. That's not random. It's deeply a part of who we are as human beings and one of the most accurate forms we have in expressing who we are. From birth to death, we are all drawn to music and compelled to express music. Musician's have painted an auditory canvas of musical art in all colors and shades and depths and heights of expression to define every human experience, dream, and fantasy ever experienced by all people, past and present and future, for all to enjoy, refer to, draw courage from, feel validated by and comforted by in knowing that they are not alone and, underneath it all, there is a common thread that connects us all. To undervalue, starve and suppress this art form of our higher selves that empowers us all is foolish. The majority of our musical artists are working without even the compensation or benefits of our local unskilled, minimum wage workforce. I support any effort that moves toward determining, at least, a fair economic value that musician's bring to any event, venue, or community at large, and devising a fair compensation package for their contribution. It would have to be recognized that live musician's provide more than just music, as there is most often a level of showmanship as well, experience in other technical and marketing areas of the event, and, in some cases, their own fan base that come specifically only because of them. In working out the value, it should be noted that the show itself is just the mountaintop. Beneath that is many hours of practice, creating the show specific to the needs of the venue or event, rehearsals, paying for rehearsal space, gas to and from rehearsals and events, not to mention years of experience and innate ability, and bringing their own tools to the job. In other fields, independent contractors are compensated for all of that. If the featured draw to a venue or event IS the music, then the music is the largest part of the equation, or at least equal to the site, and should be compensated with the accurate percentage. But here's how crazy I am. I think musician's should band together as an entity and take control of their "product", defining their own value, setting their own bylaws of where and when and how they will perform, essentially, forming a more inclusive music union that supports the full gamut of beginner to professional, studio to live, musicians. As a group, purchase insurances. As a group, hire managers, marketers, event coordinators, secretaries, etc. As a group, invest in large venues and cut out the private venue owners wanting to take their money and acting like they did something for them by giving them a plate of food and some gas money. That's your show! That's your money! There has to be some significant amount of musician's that can see this vision and find a way to make it happen out of all the multitude of intelligent, creative musician's out there. You can even take back the Award Show's and make it actually By The musician's, For The Musician's! Take back your art, your business, your vision, your purpose... your money! Know your worth, and then you can ask for it. Know the value you provide to life, and then you can insist on it. There's enough money out there too, if pulled together, and all were in accord to support, you can make it happen. It's not too much to expect a true valuing and fair compensation of musician's in general for their contributions to our societies and personal lives. It's a concept to work towards that's long overdue and we owe it to all the artists who have brought us so much joy throughout history and have received so little back for it. Who of us hasn't benefited, after all, because of them? Below is one woman's effort. Please support it, pass it on, or share a better idea you may have. Thank you to musician's... thank you for music. It's just beautiful. ~Terri (of Uglyfingers Productions Recording Studio) Be a part of the change. Or it stays the same. http://www.change.org/petitions/help-our-bay-area-musicians-and-sf-venues-support-tax-break-to-venue-owners-who-pay-musicians-a-fair-wage