Tuesday’s on the RidgeYear21
“Perfect”presents
Todd Tongdee Lavelle
& Pterosaur
December 6th, 2022, 8pm
Brand New Musiq & a Celebration of Life
Lauri’s Love Christine McVie
“the Works”
1610 Wyoming Ave., BYOB
5705614188
PERFECT
There are moments I have wanted to simply experience, metabolize, STOP! and hold.
Moments of Perfection-swimming at Lake Ariel with our kids, singing in the midst of
beautiful musiq, an afternoon of sunshowers and scents of grass & leaves. I tried to
capture such feeling in a new song, “Perfect” and our Thai guitar virtuoso took my basic
melody and made it near-Perfect. Thank you, Kong. Thank you, Johnny Nova, Nan, MJ,
Jerry for playing tonight. Thank you, Rob for 21 years of creative sharing here. Thank
you Phish for the STUFF of SOUND.
Thank you, Christine McVie for beautiful songs, stunning melodies and those moments
of perfection at the end of Fleetwood Mac concerts when you would sit alone at the
piano and sing Good Night with Songbird.
Thank you, Lauri, my sister, my friend, my partner in running a home. We began to share
the stage together in my father’s American Young minstrel group. I was 5. We would still
be sharing and inspiring each other 50 years later, up until a night of perfection-Thanks-
giving 2021. That night, after 30 family, friends & loves had gone home, Lauri & I shared
a last hug and agreed the day of “Thanks & Giving” had been pretty much perfect.
The next night, Lauri would be gone. A bug, a virus? When she was declared “deceased”,
I spent 2 nights at her bedside as she was prepared for the “harvest” of her organs to
give life to others. Her funeral was held at St. Paul’s Church December 6th, 2021. I wrote
an obituary, gave the eulogy, celebrated her life with family, friends, wonderful human
beings ALL colored by Lauri’s wand of love and support. She lives in me and so many
others.
As we bask in this season of hope and rebirth, let us believe in the Perfection of
Moments, breathe deeply and suck them in as they are eeting. I am honored to be alive
and allowed to use these phenomenal gifts given to me to entertain, inspire and create
NEW moments with you. The stage is my home. Love is my source, fuel, mentor, ultimate
goal and reason to be. PERFECT, in peace and grace.
Todd Tongdee Lavelle
“The Works”
Heal it Forward
I’m going down to talk to the river
she asks, “what will you say?”
nothing really, I’d lust like to listen and heal
actually, it doesn’t seem real
so present and then so gone
as the world demands we’re movin’ on, but to where?
death has come and is not leaving
we, artists all, design our own grieving
some wailing on the grave, others lying prone or
walking in a haze, confused and alone
some drink together, even celebrate the life
until the dark hours descend rife with visceral missing
where is she now?
a life of gifts & losses has taught me somehow to
heal it forward?
laugh & tease, a smile in my eyes, though weak at the knees
not fake, but Proactive
I know He wins, but, I’ll not got the passenger, I will drive
reminding myself I am aware & alive
so is she should I take her there
to the union is timeless, carry her in my heart
filtered memories-all the good stuff she’d impart
cuz she knew love and she knew how to give
and if ya know that, well, maybe that’s howya live-and die
though, I can’t figure out why she’s left
is that the last gold of dusk or the rays will welcome dawn?
the river tells me, “grieve, but surely paddle on”
together again, this time forever
for, this river knows no end
only the flow & bend of time
12-16-21@ Lackawanna
for Lovers & the Beloved, partners eternal
Bogota, Colombia
Compasion Monserrate
come heed the call of Monserrate
Gringo wonder and local awe
climb the arms holding Bogota
forests undulate, hills to cli ,
as we reach the top, the giant IF
what if I fall? what if I die?
the thin air cleans the thought, “you will- do you know why?”
chant the breath of comfort in the chapel to appease
the ghosts of fear and wonder, spirits sing like thunder,
here is life, here is peace
rise above the noise and din,
shed your ego and come within these walls of su ering
built for those have given, lost & held,
the human heart’s only true bastion-
the shared experience of love and compassion
for the passion & compasion of the funky ladies
A28, 22
see the “Poetry in Motion”
PasToMorrow
we carry stories, boy
we’re all livin the glory
from that past our future make
as to where we are & to go how far
just give a little more than take
PasToMorroW
With support from Thailand's Ministry of
Culture, Sukothai Province (thank you
Governor Viroon) and advice from the
UNESCO World Heritage team, we created
"Sukothai: PasToMorroW", a 10-part video
series celebrating the handicrafts that are
taking Sukothai's past to the future. We
then, produced the PasToMorroW Thai
World Musiq Video starring Keng Tachaya &
Ann Mitchai & the ancient "Mangkala"
drums of Sukothai. Check them out.
"We carry stories, boy..from the Past
your Future make".
Perfect
well the afternoon is bathed in shoers,
falling for the sun
and the empty arms of wrong and right
aren’t teaching anyone
let me sit here on this clay in my simple
garden & close the day
and leave with nothing much to say,
but, that this moment here is perfect
for Awm, mylove, miss gay & the Dhiva’s
on the Bangpakong River, Chacheongsao Province
there are times when it’s all just right, perfect
& I want to capture it, stop the world and just absorb this moment
another year of life has passed
I wonder where the time goes
and all the questions we have asked
I wonder where the answers ow
so many things left undone, so many lessons learned
in the last twelve months of change
and chance for this brand new year we dance
*all your laughter, all your crying,
all the livin' of a year
start again, start with Christmas,
start with this new year*
composed December 6th, 1992
recorded & mixed December 6th, 2020
a gift to you, December 6th, 2022
(it takes 30 years to make a song?!?!)
all songs/poetry/prose C 2022
Thomas James Lavelle
HAPPY EVERYTHING!