Take 5ive Themed Issue - Music That Heals
Music has been used as a healing tool for centuries, and modern research supports its effectiveness. Music therapy can improve mood, reduce anxiety and stress levels, decrease pain perception, and even enhance cognitive function. This is because music can tap into the brain's reward system, releasing dopamine and promoting relaxation. It also stimulates areas of the brain involved in processing pain and emotions. Listening to music that resonates with personal experiences can be especially therapeutic. Playing music or singing along can also provide a sense of mastery and control over one's body and emotions. Overall, the healing powers of music are undeniable; it's an accessible self-care tool that can bring comfort, connection, and joy to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Tuyet Van Do
leading a
planned activity group
she
enjoys listening to
seniors singing
shopping centre
young toddler
sings along
with a
busking musician
nursing home visit
on
the broadcast system
' I can't smile without you'
is playing
Srini
far away
a flute sounds...
how light
the burdens of life
suddenly feel
the music
of a mountain
in the waterfall
I let yesterday's grief
be washed away
no cure
for sleeplessness
the cricket's chirps
at least comfort me
through the night
Suraj Nanu
I played a half note
she tried a half smile
little by little
I regained my tune
she regained her grin
healing ragas
seeping through the air
on my neighbour's fence
hoarfrost covers
the rusted barbs
Christina Chin
rainsong...
stuck in the house
with Pringles
choc chip ice cream
and After Eight
recuperating...
soft creaks
of the hammock
under the benjamina
--nature sound
the distant
roll of thunder
I take a break
from the notebook
how calming
Barbara Anna Gaiardoni
nature's sounds reach
the deep crevices
of the soul
re-introducing love on
the most intimate level
Richard Jordan
fifteen years today
since her diagnosis --
I strum our wedding song
on my old six-string
and she sings
silver saxophone
scratched and dented
pawned for a last escape --
in recovery dreams
his fingers run through scales
Chen-ou Liu
I'm going
to Graceland, Graceland ...
I turn the volume
all the way up and up
as if to soar like an eagle
I don't know a dream
that's not been shattered ...
Paul Simon's voice
whispers in my ear
then I know I'll be alright
my God
all but a puff of smoke
He vanishes
when the winter gale blows ...
alone with Cohen's "Hallelujah"
Bryan Rickert
taking
a sick day
I let the song
of the river
heal me
amidst
this city’s chaos
a bit
of lark song
soothes my soul
late at night
from so many
mile away
is that your heartbeat
singing me to sleep
Jackie Chou
worrisome thoughts
cut short by flute song
his caval plays
the missing ranges
of my alto voice
blasting boombox
from the second floor balcony
I lose myself
in the rhythm of Prince
without complaining
line dancing
to Achy Breaky Heart
I relish
its upbeat rhythm
ignoring the sad lyrics
Curt Pawlisch
our chestnut tree
lush in spring sunlight
and oriole song—
dwelling in the infinite
in the here in the now
three crows in love—
most days they stop by
high up the neighbor’s tree
all caws and guttural coos
their feathers sable in sunlight
we sing her praises
with the dandelion wine
she made and stored
in a jug in her basement—
now it too is gone
Valentina Ranaldi-Adams
church bells ring
to mark the hour
for the ailing atheist
is this the last call
to salvation
Randy Brooks
a member of the band
on the bus
across Mexico
Santana
our spirit guide
samba beat
the start
of each day
making the bed
together
an old fiddle
she still knows how
we all live
in a yellow
submarine
Paula Frew
Like Balm of Gilead
Notes arranged into a melody,
like the Balm of Gilead,
ease our agitation.
Like the scent of lavender,
they calm our rage.
Ram Chandran
after breakup
drive back home,
the floating full moon outside
and jazz inside ...
life is beautiful anyway
in this sleepless night,
the songs of
spring breeze
with rustling mango leaves...
my lullaby to sleep
Anthony Lusardi
daybreak;
the rhythm of the wind
with the high creaks
from a rusted weathervane
shifting to the east
car radio dies . . .
finding music
in falling sleet
while adding
a whistle
remembering
mom’s lullaby;
planting marigolds
to protect
the vegetables
Robert Witmer
a sad song
to the bitter wind
a pale face from a late train
her warm coin
in a cold hand
monks chant
the edge of sound
purpling with clouds
a holy mountain
blessed with snow
evening
the champagne sparkles
the listless waves intone
one by one
white fingers in the sand
Bonnie J Scherer
Gregorian chant …
reverberations
of alleluia
swelling my heart
and soul
dad whistles
while working
around the house …
we tune into him,
he tunes us out
Winchester Cathedral
dad and I singing along
with the brass and sass
oh-bo-de-o-do
oh-bo-de-o-do de-do-duh
Jennifer Gurney
Birdsong
In the cool of the morning
Reaches
Even my sorest heart
In the toughest of times
The cello
Gets me every time
Reaching my heart
When nothing else can
Touch me
The sunshine plays
A melody just for me
Dancing on the lake’s surface
To make me smile
And quench my thirsty soul
Rupa Anand
outside the window
the low, then high
of dawn music
i carry my scars
with ease . . .
under the sun
through the mountains
Ganga flows
forgetting everything
i listen . . .
the mirror
reflects someone weary
of humankind
these old feet dance
to the rhythm of the falling rain
Jon Hare
the blues
lingering long after--
we listened
to “The Healer”
the day before
Sunday morning
a cup of coffee
filled with birdsong
and the spelling bee
Vivaldi’s
violin concertos
four seasons
of thirty years
spent together
Tracy Davidson
mother's lullabies
how swiftly they soothe
childhood hurts
cries turn to chortles
within one chorus
the soft chants
of meditation music
bore me...
finding blasts of rock 'n' roll
more therapeutic
soppy love songs
after a break-up
the therapeutic
unspooling
of the mixed tape he made me
Kathabela Wilson
first flute played
in the ancient forest
how can it be
something so new and sweet
in our day and age
as if a wand
my small mallet makes
a singing bowl
this time from around the rim
a growing magic fills the room
in Maltese
I sing mother's lullaby
at our wedding
her smile from the audience
holds us all in her arms
Jerome Berglund
minute Waltz
fitting the terrier
in her purse
changing a flat
with minor key
music
from the project window
hopeful
no domestics
called in tonight
Peter Larsen
home with a cold
orange juice and chicken soup
best of all
Mom quietly singing
familiar old folk songs
for two months
I practice “Taps”…
at graveside
I flub the high note
my weeping niece giggles
we’re breaking up…
our last time listening to
“La Boheme”
we hold each other and cry
as Mimi dies again
Susan Burch
nursing home -
the piano player
in the parlor
gives my workday
a soundtrack
Marilyn Humbert
this night
I hear the river's
tinkling current
carrying my song
downstream to you
cathedral
choir practice ...
our voices
mingle and lift
in joyful thanksgiving
school of rock ...
at her first performance
my granddaughter's
nimble fingers flying
across the keyboard
Mark Gilbert
I’ve noticed
that a robin can sing
with a caterpillar
dangling from his beak --
a useful skill to have
this monk’s habit --
a simple bowl of cornflakes
for breakfast
my silence
among the birdsong
Debbie Strange
fitful winds
pluck the harp strings
of dead vines . . .
you would have been
soothed by such music
my singing bowl
half-filled with water . . .
I strike its rim
until ocean waves
manifest inside me
Joanne Scott
The melody of the forest the chorus of the sea
The vibrations of the seasons in perfect harmony
Ethereal choir echoing sounds soothing hearts and minds
Each beat, note pattern, organic rhythmic flow
Nature's gift of music, healer of the soul
Siggi Saradunn
stars align with friends
writing, meal shared, and music
magic in real time
flute solo joined by tamboura
magic fills the air
Elvis scorned,
banned in our house;
after dad died
Mother loved and played Elvis
singing and dancing with joy
Tennessee Ernie
his deep voice speaks to the soul
calms my worries
so blessed am I to find
the healing sounds when young
Nani Mariani
beautiful music
improve her mood
learn to dance
follow the beat
happy grandma
friction between leaves
creating a musical rhythm
I just got home from work
feel pampered
with a cup of coffee
Daipayan Nair
chirp
of dusk crickets ...
the voice note
she sends in reply
to my hundred missed calls
the waxwing
lands on a berry tree
this art night
grandpa tunes
his air guitar again
Edward Cody Huddleston
Grandpa's harmonica---
she wipes the dust off
and stares at it
as if waiting for the blues
to play themselves
false spring
more Leonard Cohen
in my playlist
the minor falls
the major lifts
learning piano
my puppy howls along
in the same key
neither of us
can name
Ruth Holzer
Delta blues
the harmonica a freight train
of hard times
that people survived
and turned into music
memory care
they no longer know
who they are
gathered round a piano
they remember the old songs
fired
from another stupid job
I cry
you play a cool jazz record
making everything all right
Inanna
bright temple bells
tintinnabulation roils
myrrh and musk incense
wake the drowsy god
from little death’s nap
biber’s mystery sonatas--
violin string ladder descends
into sheol’s rabbit hole
ethereal spirals swirl
hope crescendos unfelt faith
C.X.Turner
drifting
along a quiet river
rose petals
paying my respects
ends like a song
swaying
with the silver birch
we sing
an orchestra of grief
plays out at your funeral
our song
I no longer hear
the same way
releasing a pebble
into a still-moving stream
Sarah Das Gupta
Boys' voices
soar in the chapel
effortless harmony
peaceful dreams
in the graveyard
Tears, bitter tears
turning now
to calm acceptance
as a violin sounds
from a distant room
Brahm's Lullaby
a shaft of moonlight
motes of dust dancing
a hand rocks
a sleeping child
Diane Funston
my first forty-five records
you are my candy girl
sugar sugar
the Archie’s comic books
spinning on turntable
old song grandma loved
on kitchen table radio
blue, blue
oh my love is blue
wishing I was back there
no little nine year old
should love the sad songs
but I did
I am a rock
sittin on the dock of the bay
Genevieve S. Aguinaldo
in my loneliness
I hear the cicadas
singing like little bells
it is Christmas again
and you are here with me
after eleven hours
of labor and pain
of screaming and tears
I hear your first cry
and every wound is healed
a mother's lullaby
no matter how old
reaches every pore
like a soaring kite
to the galaxies of the soul
Catherine Harnett
the bastard has left
her virgin heart is shattered
Leonard Cohen comes
to her empty bedsitter
sings there ain't no cure for love
Giuliana Ravaglia
luna dei fiori
una danza di note
la sua musica
nel tempo
senza tempo com'è dolce la notte
flower moon
a dance of notes
his music
in timeless time
how sweet is the night
solo silenzio
sull'arida panchina
all'imbrunire
improvviso sciaborda
il valzer delle rose
just silence
on the barren bench
at dusk
sudden splash
the waltz of the roses
Steve Wilkinson
eighties music
on the radio -
I'm young again
as the red light
turns to green
Cohen says
'You want it darker'
I read Deuteronomy
and the darkness
intensifies
the soft breeze
stirs the branches
of the pine
doves and woodpigeons
coo in appreciation
leading a
planned activity group
she
enjoys listening to
seniors singing
shopping centre
young toddler
sings along
with a
busking musician
nursing home visit
on
the broadcast system
' I can't smile without you'
is playing
Srini
far away
a flute sounds...
how light
the burdens of life
suddenly feel
the music
of a mountain
in the waterfall
I let yesterday's grief
be washed away
no cure
for sleeplessness
the cricket's chirps
at least comfort me
through the night
Suraj Nanu
I played a half note
she tried a half smile
little by little
I regained my tune
she regained her grin
healing ragas
seeping through the air
on my neighbour's fence
hoarfrost covers
the rusted barbs
Christina Chin
rainsong...
stuck in the house
with Pringles
choc chip ice cream
and After Eight
recuperating...
soft creaks
of the hammock
under the benjamina
--nature sound
the distant
roll of thunder
I take a break
from the notebook
how calming
Barbara Anna Gaiardoni
nature's sounds reach
the deep crevices
of the soul
re-introducing love on
the most intimate level
Richard Jordan
fifteen years today
since her diagnosis --
I strum our wedding song
on my old six-string
and she sings
silver saxophone
scratched and dented
pawned for a last escape --
in recovery dreams
his fingers run through scales
Chen-ou Liu
I'm going
to Graceland, Graceland ...
I turn the volume
all the way up and up
as if to soar like an eagle
I don't know a dream
that's not been shattered ...
Paul Simon's voice
whispers in my ear
then I know I'll be alright
my God
all but a puff of smoke
He vanishes
when the winter gale blows ...
alone with Cohen's "Hallelujah"
Bryan Rickert
taking
a sick day
I let the song
of the river
heal me
amidst
this city’s chaos
a bit
of lark song
soothes my soul
late at night
from so many
mile away
is that your heartbeat
singing me to sleep
Jackie Chou
worrisome thoughts
cut short by flute song
his caval plays
the missing ranges
of my alto voice
blasting boombox
from the second floor balcony
I lose myself
in the rhythm of Prince
without complaining
line dancing
to Achy Breaky Heart
I relish
its upbeat rhythm
ignoring the sad lyrics
Curt Pawlisch
our chestnut tree
lush in spring sunlight
and oriole song—
dwelling in the infinite
in the here in the now
three crows in love—
most days they stop by
high up the neighbor’s tree
all caws and guttural coos
their feathers sable in sunlight
we sing her praises
with the dandelion wine
she made and stored
in a jug in her basement—
now it too is gone
Valentina Ranaldi-Adams
church bells ring
to mark the hour
for the ailing atheist
is this the last call
to salvation
Randy Brooks
a member of the band
on the bus
across Mexico
Santana
our spirit guide
samba beat
the start
of each day
making the bed
together
an old fiddle
she still knows how
we all live
in a yellow
submarine
Paula Frew
Like Balm of Gilead
Notes arranged into a melody,
like the Balm of Gilead,
ease our agitation.
Like the scent of lavender,
they calm our rage.
Ram Chandran
after breakup
drive back home,
the floating full moon outside
and jazz inside ...
life is beautiful anyway
in this sleepless night,
the songs of
spring breeze
with rustling mango leaves...
my lullaby to sleep
Anthony Lusardi
daybreak;
the rhythm of the wind
with the high creaks
from a rusted weathervane
shifting to the east
car radio dies . . .
finding music
in falling sleet
while adding
a whistle
remembering
mom’s lullaby;
planting marigolds
to protect
the vegetables
Robert Witmer
a sad song
to the bitter wind
a pale face from a late train
her warm coin
in a cold hand
monks chant
the edge of sound
purpling with clouds
a holy mountain
blessed with snow
evening
the champagne sparkles
the listless waves intone
one by one
white fingers in the sand
Bonnie J Scherer
Gregorian chant …
reverberations
of alleluia
swelling my heart
and soul
dad whistles
while working
around the house …
we tune into him,
he tunes us out
Winchester Cathedral
dad and I singing along
with the brass and sass
oh-bo-de-o-do
oh-bo-de-o-do de-do-duh
Jennifer Gurney
Birdsong
In the cool of the morning
Reaches
Even my sorest heart
In the toughest of times
The cello
Gets me every time
Reaching my heart
When nothing else can
Touch me
The sunshine plays
A melody just for me
Dancing on the lake’s surface
To make me smile
And quench my thirsty soul
Rupa Anand
outside the window
the low, then high
of dawn music
i carry my scars
with ease . . .
under the sun
through the mountains
Ganga flows
forgetting everything
i listen . . .
the mirror
reflects someone weary
of humankind
these old feet dance
to the rhythm of the falling rain
Jon Hare
the blues
lingering long after--
we listened
to “The Healer”
the day before
Sunday morning
a cup of coffee
filled with birdsong
and the spelling bee
Vivaldi’s
violin concertos
four seasons
of thirty years
spent together
Tracy Davidson
mother's lullabies
how swiftly they soothe
childhood hurts
cries turn to chortles
within one chorus
the soft chants
of meditation music
bore me...
finding blasts of rock 'n' roll
more therapeutic
soppy love songs
after a break-up
the therapeutic
unspooling
of the mixed tape he made me
Kathabela Wilson
first flute played
in the ancient forest
how can it be
something so new and sweet
in our day and age
as if a wand
my small mallet makes
a singing bowl
this time from around the rim
a growing magic fills the room
in Maltese
I sing mother's lullaby
at our wedding
her smile from the audience
holds us all in her arms
Jerome Berglund
minute Waltz
fitting the terrier
in her purse
changing a flat
with minor key
music
from the project window
hopeful
no domestics
called in tonight
Peter Larsen
home with a cold
orange juice and chicken soup
best of all
Mom quietly singing
familiar old folk songs
for two months
I practice “Taps”…
at graveside
I flub the high note
my weeping niece giggles
we’re breaking up…
our last time listening to
“La Boheme”
we hold each other and cry
as Mimi dies again
Susan Burch
nursing home -
the piano player
in the parlor
gives my workday
a soundtrack
Marilyn Humbert
this night
I hear the river's
tinkling current
carrying my song
downstream to you
cathedral
choir practice ...
our voices
mingle and lift
in joyful thanksgiving
school of rock ...
at her first performance
my granddaughter's
nimble fingers flying
across the keyboard
Mark Gilbert
I’ve noticed
that a robin can sing
with a caterpillar
dangling from his beak --
a useful skill to have
this monk’s habit --
a simple bowl of cornflakes
for breakfast
my silence
among the birdsong
Debbie Strange
fitful winds
pluck the harp strings
of dead vines . . .
you would have been
soothed by such music
my singing bowl
half-filled with water . . .
I strike its rim
until ocean waves
manifest inside me
Joanne Scott
The melody of the forest the chorus of the sea
The vibrations of the seasons in perfect harmony
Ethereal choir echoing sounds soothing hearts and minds
Each beat, note pattern, organic rhythmic flow
Nature's gift of music, healer of the soul
Siggi Saradunn
stars align with friends
writing, meal shared, and music
magic in real time
flute solo joined by tamboura
magic fills the air
Elvis scorned,
banned in our house;
after dad died
Mother loved and played Elvis
singing and dancing with joy
Tennessee Ernie
his deep voice speaks to the soul
calms my worries
so blessed am I to find
the healing sounds when young
Nani Mariani
beautiful music
improve her mood
learn to dance
follow the beat
happy grandma
friction between leaves
creating a musical rhythm
I just got home from work
feel pampered
with a cup of coffee
Daipayan Nair
chirp
of dusk crickets ...
the voice note
she sends in reply
to my hundred missed calls
the waxwing
lands on a berry tree
this art night
grandpa tunes
his air guitar again
Edward Cody Huddleston
Grandpa's harmonica---
she wipes the dust off
and stares at it
as if waiting for the blues
to play themselves
false spring
more Leonard Cohen
in my playlist
the minor falls
the major lifts
learning piano
my puppy howls along
in the same key
neither of us
can name
Ruth Holzer
Delta blues
the harmonica a freight train
of hard times
that people survived
and turned into music
memory care
they no longer know
who they are
gathered round a piano
they remember the old songs
fired
from another stupid job
I cry
you play a cool jazz record
making everything all right
Inanna
bright temple bells
tintinnabulation roils
myrrh and musk incense
wake the drowsy god
from little death’s nap
biber’s mystery sonatas--
violin string ladder descends
into sheol’s rabbit hole
ethereal spirals swirl
hope crescendos unfelt faith
C.X.Turner
drifting
along a quiet river
rose petals
paying my respects
ends like a song
swaying
with the silver birch
we sing
an orchestra of grief
plays out at your funeral
our song
I no longer hear
the same way
releasing a pebble
into a still-moving stream
Sarah Das Gupta
Boys' voices
soar in the chapel
effortless harmony
peaceful dreams
in the graveyard
Tears, bitter tears
turning now
to calm acceptance
as a violin sounds
from a distant room
Brahm's Lullaby
a shaft of moonlight
motes of dust dancing
a hand rocks
a sleeping child
Diane Funston
my first forty-five records
you are my candy girl
sugar sugar
the Archie’s comic books
spinning on turntable
old song grandma loved
on kitchen table radio
blue, blue
oh my love is blue
wishing I was back there
no little nine year old
should love the sad songs
but I did
I am a rock
sittin on the dock of the bay
Genevieve S. Aguinaldo
in my loneliness
I hear the cicadas
singing like little bells
it is Christmas again
and you are here with me
after eleven hours
of labor and pain
of screaming and tears
I hear your first cry
and every wound is healed
a mother's lullaby
no matter how old
reaches every pore
like a soaring kite
to the galaxies of the soul
Catherine Harnett
the bastard has left
her virgin heart is shattered
Leonard Cohen comes
to her empty bedsitter
sings there ain't no cure for love
Giuliana Ravaglia
luna dei fiori
una danza di note
la sua musica
nel tempo
senza tempo com'è dolce la notte
flower moon
a dance of notes
his music
in timeless time
how sweet is the night
solo silenzio
sull'arida panchina
all'imbrunire
improvviso sciaborda
il valzer delle rose
just silence
on the barren bench
at dusk
sudden splash
the waltz of the roses
Steve Wilkinson
eighties music
on the radio -
I'm young again
as the red light
turns to green
Cohen says
'You want it darker'
I read Deuteronomy
and the darkness
intensifies
the soft breeze
stirs the branches
of the pine
doves and woodpigeons
coo in appreciation
