So watcha gonna do? by Åland's side - Finland (sort of)

 

So watcha gonna do ?

Sunset, sunrise…

Dancing lights on on Åland's side, the golden thread of painter Sky.

Artistry with grace to spare, surrounded by beauty everywhere.

BUT… - sometimes - Life in its constant affection for yin and yang, decides to throw in grumpiness.

So for that weighing company, dear friends and fellow joyful travelers of this Earth,

lest you also be flanked by one in the noticeable garb of annoyance and discontent, in a van or otherwise,

here’s a song you can sing to them:

Sometimes you’ve just go to step out onto a little wooden platform and sing it out !

And it’ll go swimmingly

Crimson Fire up from Below
Dancing lights on Åland's side
Golden Thread, noble Bough
Clouds and Sunsets all collide

You see colours but no craft
And the Thorns and Thorns in your side

So watcha gonna do?
It's the others, it's not You
Watcha gonna do?
To get this Gloom to desert You

Will it go, will it go, will it stay
Yes? yay...

Surrounded by beauty everywhere
Artistry with Grace to spare
Do you see, do you see,
you don't care

Later at night all that you crave
Is sleeping in darkness
Let no wave
Of the light or the sea come too near

So watcha gonna do?
Travellin' high and fellin' blue
So watcha gonna do?
Lovely landscapes, they love you
Do you love them, do you love them too?
Do you love them, do you love them too?
no

So watcha gonna do?
Travellin' high and fellin' blue
So watcha gonna do?
Lovely landscapes, they love you
Do you love them, do you love them too?
Yes!

Watcha gonna do?
It's the Sunset, it's so true
Watcha gonna do?
It's the Baltic, it's so blue
Watcha gonna do?
The Universe, it rings in you
Oh watcha gonna do?
Joyous bubbles spring through you

Oh watcha gonna do?
The Universe, it rings in...
Oh watcha gonna do?
It's the Baltic, it's so blue
Oh watcha gonna do?
The Universe, it rings in you

Oh watcha gonna do?
It is the Sunrise, it's so true!
Oh watcha gonna do?
It's the Baltic, it loves you!

Oh watcha gonna do?
It's the wrong chords, what to do?
Oh watcha gonna do?
The Universe, it rings in you
Oh watcha gonna do?
These joyous bubbles bubble in you
Oh watcha gonna do?… AD LIBITUM

And once you’re done making a wonderfully crafted point, that moves a total of 0 needles, I recommend you pick your uke up before it gets wet and put it (and yourself) on the next boat !

It’s plastic !

Godby to you and see you soon.

The balance of Yin, Yang and Yuke continues…

If you’ve made it this far, leave a comment ! If you don’t the song’s about you, a grumpy person.

If you leave a comment however, this qualifies you: considerate, charming, careful and compassionate with others, sweet and cheerful.

By Gålrum's Graves - Gotland, Sweden

Why are we here ?

Questions. All civilizations must tackle the same ones.

What’s the meaning of life ?

Valid questions the lot of them.

What follows death ?

Do you know ?

And even if they are answered, a problem arises.

When a culture long ago has inspired its people towards holistic answers as to the meaning of existence... we then forget what they meant, but we find lots of their stuff.

Their stones and their tombs. Sometimes a mug. And we’re very confused about most of it.

More questions.

What did they mean ? Why does it look like a boat ?

Did they worship warships ?

Historians can only project and guess. Mostly embarrassing themselves.

But not bards. And traveling poets. They know.

Far for these tired limbs carry out all of His Plans

Tie them all into one the Flower, the Scent and the Storm

Far for these tired limbs but I’ll hold on to Him

Carry me far carry me far hold it aloft

All the Beauty outside inside of me fast

All tied to one all tied to one Mystery grand

We will drink Mead as friends as it all is combined

As it all combines

I’ll find my place I’ll find my place down here below

I’ll surrender my kin to the great binding might

Far and it’s all a dream and the stars they rule upon Time

Stars in the Sky I’ll learn to unveil you Truth unspoken of

All that is known, all that is to be known

All that is to be known, all that is known

 

Gålrum’s Graves

The site is a fascinating collection of monuments. It lies by the tranquil East-coast of the island, less than an hour’s drive down from Visby.

Five Cairns are present here. These are big piles of rock with sometimes chambers or tombs underneath. According to my research into other people’s research, they were built here between 2000 BC and 1000 BC. The biggest and oldest one “Digerrojr” is 30 meters in diameter and is 4 meters high. Not is great shape, but that’s good for questions. It generates even more of them.

Cairn you see?

There’s not much in the way of explanations on site, so it’s a questions carnaval.

It seems the stone “shipwreck” tombs or Skeppssättningar were added later on, changing the area from a Cairn site to a bit of a mix. From 1000 BC to 500 BC. The fact they all point South is of particular interest to me.

Can you seafaring tombs?

It’s possible the lyrics above were singing with a different ship in mind. Baltic, but bigger and crucially not there. Let’s see if I can take you there later. A SAIL-ient plan. A MAST do. Oh buoy, I’ll give you a WAVE when we get there.

If you want to learn more about Gålrum this is quite the page-turner. Thank me later. And now, right now, this second, in the comments.

A lone ship, a bit further away, up high from the sky.

Midsommarafton in Gotland's capital Visby

Long ago, the Visby defensive walls encircled a city full of merchants and workers, even pirates and enemy soldiers some decades.

But these (summer) days, rosebushes instead encircle you, as does their alluring scent of quiet, gentle romance. Obviously, love is in the Midsommarafton air.

Many thoughts arose, mostly about flowers

SWEDISH LESSON

Midsommarafton

mid (trad.) = middle

sommar = summer

afton = eve

Make sure you stay an inordinate amount of time on the “ms” of sommar, like you’re stuck on a thought right in the middle of your word.

MIDSOMMARAFTON

This mid-summer eve is a Swedish celebration that takes place on the Friday evening closest to the shortest night of the year. That’s tonight!

And so the sun is shining longer on the flower-strewn fields, all gently swaying in a cooling June breeze.

Det går en vind över vindens ängar - Here travels a wind over the wind’s meadow

According to the legends, the magic of this short night helps unmarried girls picture their future husbands in their dreams. First however, they must collect seven different flowers at dusk in complete silence. These wild flowers are then put under their pillows and the girls are off into their motion-picture dreamland.

A bouquet for the van works also, but don’t sleep at the wheel!

Every swede picks flowers on Midsommarafton. The day’s magic is felt in many ways, some very simple, likes spending time in nature and enjoying the almost never ending evening. That of course, brings out the poet and singer out of many sensitive souls:

Och jag ska skriva en sommarvisa - And I will write a summer ballad 

Med sol och blomdoft i melodin - With sun and the scent of flowers in its melody

And is there a better setting for such a song than the Visby botanical gardens ?

Jag ville sjunga om Katarina - I wanted to sing about Katarina

Till träklangsflöjter och alcymbal - To the tune of wooden flutes and copper cymbals

This song “Visa vid vindens ängar” was written in 1966 by Swede Mats Paulsson, born in Linköping, just accross the water from Gotland. A great Swedish songwriter who lived to enjoy mid-summer eves all the way until his last in 2021.

Med åren blev hon en dröm en saga - But with the years she became a dream, a fairytale

En ensam vandrares sympati - A lonely wanderer’s comfort

As the poet puts it, ‘tis a bittersweet feeling every year that replaces the Midsommarafton cheer, as once it is passed, the days will get shorter and shorter. Which in Sweden is quite the challenge let me tell you.

Not for children though, they always find creative ways to entertain themselves.

By the way, would any eagle-eyed readers be able to figure out why the song footage is so non-sensical and shaky ?

Classic case of Paulsson being misheard as “pull some!”