I See You

After writing my post called, "A Beautiful Life", my mind turned towards all of the songs, finished and unfinished, which Michael had written through the years. I remembered a love song he had written called "Fairy Tale", and I have been desperately trying to locate the lyrics. I have looked in our computer, file cabinets, and all of his music binders, where he kept songs that he sang for church, songs he sang with his R&B group, and songs that he had written. I found the soundtrack, but cannot find the lyrics. I feel very undone. I feel like I have frantically searched everywhere, except for one binder, of which I cannot find. In looking for these particular lyrics, I came across so many that I had never seen. They are written on everything from coffee stained paper towels, to hotel notepads, to letterhead from places of employment 15 years ago. I love it when I find his original lyrics from the first draft. They are usually sloppy because he would write them quickly as they were usually flowing out of his spirit during his quiet times with God. Occasionally, they may have bubbled up while he was listening to a sermon or some other speaker that would send a spark up in his heart, which, in turn, would send his creative juices onto something like a hound dog following a fresh scent.

I may eventually write down some of the other lyrics and poems that I found, but I wanted to write this one first because it struck me like arrow in the heart. Many times he would mention a song that was rising up in him but would not go into detail, or he would say it's not finished yet. This is one that he never mentioned and it is not complete. He had written next to the words where it would be instrumental and where he would even modulate. I had to follow his words around on the page in his hand written scribble to piece it together. It was written in 1996. It made me catch my breath and cry in disbelief. I believe he wrote it for me.....for such a time as this.

I See You

I see you starin’ out the same old clouded window
Uncertain, if what lies beyond is truly real

I see you watching all of the familiar faces
Outside this window, there’s a place within your reach

I see you wondering if its your imagination
Or if it really is, just as it appears

I see you questioning just what it is you’re after
Familiar faces will confirm your desire

Commitments live and then they die….who knows why
Maybe the answers lie in another place and time

I see you thinkin’ about a way to make things happen
Familiar faces….

I see you standing in the shadow of tomorrow
Though its not clear, you know this the place to be
I see you boldly steppin’ out to find your future
You’ll overcome and welcome opportunity

I see you reaching for the purpose of your being
With those around you, who encourage you and who came
I see you living out your dreams of yesterday
With confidence achieved because you chose to dare

I see you looking at, thinking about, wondering if, wanting to, weighing it, …


Written by Michael A. Barranco
1996