I’ve been reading a lot about polyamory and relationship anarchy, expanding my ideas of what love can look like and the variety of structures it can take. I adore learning new words and lately I have been learning a lot of them. One of the books I read over the summer presented a bunch of nonhierarchical terms for different kinds of partners; for example, a “nesting” partner that you share a household with, or an “anchor” partner that has known you a long time and helps you stay tethered to reality. I got a little chill when I learned “comet”: a romantic connection that passes through your life intermittently. A comet relationship can be intense and meaningful for a short time, then distant and forgotten until it comes back around. It’s a beautiful image that felt like a fist stuck in my ribs. A lovely concept but painful in practice, surely. I filed the title away in my hook book.
Then I met someone who is like a comet in almost every way. Fiery, inspiring, radiating wonder and joy. Like a comet, he’s otherworldly; living halfway between Nebraska and Neptune. Unlike a comet, he is entirely unforgettable.
This song poured out of me as soon as I tuned my guitar to G6. It’s an open tuning used often by Dallas Green, Canadian troubadour and professional yearner. The tuning let me catch a wave of nostalgia spiked with anticipation. It’s very rare for a song to sail in so swiftly that the page has no scribbles. I only need one hand to count the number of times that’s happened to me.
I raced to record this demo while the feelings are still fresh. My trusty electric-acoustic guitar Geronimo needs surgery because its pickup was not picking up the top three strings, so I borrowed the backup guitar from Howl. These strings are question-mark years old and stained my finger tips steel blue but I kind of like the dull, worn-in tone. I kept a few backing vocal parts that called to me when I recorded the initial sketch. Were I to tinker with it longer, I might add some extra guitar parts or subtle string pads, maybe some very light percussion with brushes. For now it’s a snapshot, because I always remember better in music than I do in pictures. KM
Like a Comet
I’m not often speechless
But you took my breath away
Awkward silence
Sideways smiles
Hanging on every word that you don’t say
I’m not scared of strangers
But haven’t we met before?
Sinking feeling
Am I dreaming?
Coincidences that I can’t ignore
Across the room
I’m watching you
Flying by like a comet
Light up the night sky
Come ruin my life
Those days we got ourselves lost in
Stars in my eyes still lingering
And I don’t know when
I’ll see you again
So I will keep singing till then
You don’t even know me
Somehow you understand
Magic moments
Golden, hopeless
Waving goodbye with a frozen hand
I’m watching you
As you fade from view
Flying by like a comet
Light up the night sky
Come ruin my life
Those days already forgotten
Stars in my eyes still lingering
And I don’t know when
I’ll see you again
So I will keep singing till then
If I had a rocket ship
I’d make better promises
And follow you all the way to Neptune
But since I don’t
I’ll wait alone
Looking at the moon
Hope you’re looking too
Flying by like a comet
Light up the night sky
Come ruin my life
Those days are gone and I’m falling
Stars in my eyes still lingering
And I don’t know when
I’ll see you again
So I will keep singing till then