Many years ago a girl with a halo of golden curls smiled shyly as she strummed her guitar.
On a velvet evening when we could still be called young she sang this Joni Mitchell masterpiece for me in a voice that was imperfect, fragile and beautiful. She had learned the song because she said the man featured in it could have easily been me..
She tells me, after all these years, that I haven’t changed.
Woman of Heart & Mind by Joni Mitchell
I am a woman of heart and mind
With time on her hands
No child to raise
You come to me like a little boy
And I give you my scorn and my praise
You think I’m like your mother
Or another lover or your sister
Or the queen of your dreams
Or just another silly girl
When love makes a fool of me
After the rush when you come back down
You’re always disappointed
Nothing seems to keep you high
Drive your bargains
Push your papers
Win your medals
Fuck your strangers
Don’t it leave you on the empty side
I’m looking for affection and respect
A little passion
And you want stimulation-nothing more
That’s what I think
But you know I’ll try to be there for you
When your spirits start to sink
All this talk about holiness now
It must be the start of the latest style
Is it all books and words
Or do you really feel it?
Do you really laugh?
Do you really care?
Do you really smile
When you smile?
You criticize and you flatter
You imitate the best
And the rest you memorize
You know the times you impress me most
Are the times when you don’t try
When you don’t even try
A Faded Romantic's Notebook 
mlbk7
August 6, 2012 at 4:57 pm
“But you know I’ll try to be there for you
When your spirits start to sink”
Oh to be the one in the song… You heartbreaker you are.
Just beautiful.
M.
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Romantic Dominant
August 6, 2012 at 5:20 pm
From a distance you might think so. Close up I am more of a pain in the arse. She deserves a lifetime achievement award
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mlbk7
August 7, 2012 at 7:09 am
Of course you are.., I have always gone for the “hard to get” and “assholes,” their type make better lovers you know. Joni will get the award or maybe you already gave her your trophy…hummm
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Romantic Dominant
August 7, 2012 at 10:47 am
Smiles
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SirenaTales
February 16, 2013 at 8:55 pm
Poignant, on all counts. Thank you.
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Romantic Dominant
February 17, 2013 at 12:20 pm
No. I thank you
Smiles
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April
January 22, 2014 at 11:56 pm
Just listened to this for the first time. I love Joni Mitchell, hadn’t heard this one before…made me ache with understanding. Glad I listened to it. Thank you. P.S. Close up…we are all pains in the arse.
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Romantic Dominant
January 23, 2014 at 9:37 am
Perhaps we are. Smiles. I am glad you liked the Joni song.
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