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MUSICAL MUSINGS

Several years ago my mother and I began a project that involved Kevin Vigil, a talented guitarist, who wrote pieces for the poems that she wrote and I illustrated.

 

It captures the daily little joys and pains of life. Each poem and piece of music was an attempt to remind us all of the fleeting moments of life with children .

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Music available at

GUITAR  CHAMBER MUSIC PRESS,

2635 W. Macon St., Decatur, Illinois 62522. 

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For more about Kevin Vigil

click below:

Below are some of the poems within the book. The music is on YouTube, the link is also provided by the website GuitarAscendant for the music that was written and performed by Kevin Vigil.

It is called Sketches of Children.

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Emma

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You'll never meet Emma of course, but let me tell you about her. She is ash blonde, slim as a reed with chipmunk cheeks and lovely, achingly vulnerable large feet.

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She is like the young stork, just before it flies off for good.

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Emma is gentle and loving. When she comes to see me she reams the house and touches this and that, admires everything  pretty and brings such joy to my heart.

 

She is like fresh lavender, recently cut and exuding it's perfume throughout the house. 

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-written by Monika Gallegos

-illustrations by Helena Gallegos O’Neill

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Waltz for Emma

 

You can imagine her in a large ballroom, one with a huge shiny marble floor, dancing in a long, slim, white gown and drifting out though tall windows with billowing curtains on to an emerald pasture.

 

Who will love her and make her happy? Who will see the loveliness of her and who will cherish her?

 

I wish I had a fairy wand.

 

 

 

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-written by Monika Gallegos

-illustrations by Helena Gallegos O’Neill

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Katie's Afternoon Nap

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Time to sleep I say.

"No," you say, "no, just stay a little longer. Just awhile...a little time close to me. If I close my eyes...mommy is gone."

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Time to sleep, and yet you will not close your eyes. They search mine. Large, brown and soft and full of yearning. 

They relate to me and all I have to give you.

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Imploring eyes from under the covers.

Lids thick with sleep.

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I would not miss a single breath you take. 

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It is time for your afternoon nap.

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-written by Monika Gallegos

-illustrations by Helena Gallegos O’Neill

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Old Box

 

An old box from UPS delivery will do nicely if it has a couple of windows cut into the sides.  The box will live for days under the groan and moan and weight of sundry little feet scrambling in and out, punching and shoving eager to be mom or dad or baby.

 

Old scarves have become the glowing flowing garments of kingly habitations for my little girls. They float about the play room, now in indigo blue, in scarlet or pink striped with silver.

 

 

-written by Monika Gallegos

-illustrations by Helena Gallegos O’Neill

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The Wooden Toy

 

Today I kissed a little wooden bear.

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I am Audrey and I am two years old.

I had tea with my Grandma and when we had finished all the milk and cookies, I kissed my little wooden bear.

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He is brown and is sitting in a little wooden cart which I can pull.

He is my favorite toy. I talk to him and he runs after me on a long string. 

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Up and down we go..

all day long.

 

 

 

 

 

-written by Monika Gallegos

-illustrations by Helena Gallegos O’Neill

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Look at Me

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"Look, here I am guys!" he shouts.

All three years of him proudly announces that he is coming outside to play. "I'm here everyone!"

He stretches out his arms like a bird and soars over the grass.

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                                                                        No one notices. 

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Unperturbed, he greets the world as if it had waited for

him since the beginning of time.

 

-written by Monika Gallegos

-illustrations by Helena Gallegos O’Neill

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Snow

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It was snowing today and at first I worried it would be an awful day, but it was calm and enjoyable.

With me were two boys of 10 and 11 and Katie and a little one.

The snow came down softly all day and melted with a fairy breath on the sidewalk. 

No hint of snow enough to make a snowman, although we had labored with some very cold snow to build what turned out to be a snow dog.

The sky above the dark branches all bare and gnarly turned from leaden gray to apricot later in the afternoon and we all danced to some rock and roll just to let go a bit. 

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Time to decorate the house with flowers, dried from last year refreshing when I get them out. There's a new flower wreath on the door a  thoughtful gift for Christmas. I really ought to pay these parents for the priveledge of keeping their children. 

Don't they just love hot chocolate and hot ham sandwiches?

There is so much they are grateful for. A touch of the hair. A squeeze. They note it all. Remember every kindness.

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-written by Monika Gallegos

-illustrations by Helena Gallegos O’Neill

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