Pam Webb

a writer's journey as a reader

Archive for the category “creativity”

Frost Covered Spring


Robert Frost. My first meaningful encounter with poetry occurred in fifth grade when Mr. C (still my favorite teacher) had us memorize “Stopping By Woods” and then we chalked our impressions of the poem onto dark blue construction paper. These were then pinned all around the classroom as the border above the chalkboard. As I teach this poem to my students I learn more and more from it. Frost does that with his poetry. It appears so deceptively simple at first and then there is a realization of its depth. It can be almost embarrassing at times once the analytical epiphany hits.

But I can’t imagine Frost laughing at my denseness–no, he would probably only chuckle. I imagine he might even be amused at the fuss we make analyzing his commentaries on birches, walls, and the snowy woods.

Frost is one of my faves and thought it very appropriate to feature him first among the many poets I hope to spotlight this month.

Here are a smattering of favorite poems:
“Mending Walls”
“Acquainted With The Night”
“The Road Not Taken”
“Fire and Ice”
“Nothing Gold Can Stay”

What are your favorite Frost verses? For some reason whenever spring arrives I tend to think of Robert Frost. Maybe this is fitting–a bit of Frost helps us appreciate the warmth of spring. I think he realized that as well.

Happy Poetry Month!

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No Fooling It’s National Poetry Month


Although it’s April 1st, which means pranks, jokes, and teasing can occur, I am serious in my endeavor to post something poetical everyday in recognition of it being National Poetry Month. Be forewarned, prepared, and whatever measures you might have in mind as I bombard my blogging with a preponderance of verse, imagery, and meter.

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Playing Around with Words


The Script Frenzy logo

The Script Frenzy logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Writing is what I do.  I teach it. I read it. I aspire to it.  I’ve tried all forms of writing: picture books, poetry, novels (middle readers, YA, adult), non-fiction (essays, informational, reviews), oh yeah–blogs.  My latest foray into wordsmithing is plays.  I gave up on screenplays since the format and competition didn’t work for me.  Then I switched to stage plays.  Oooh, I do very much like them.  NaNoWriMo used to run Script Frenzy, a spring version of novel writing in a month that involved writing a play in 30 days.  I tried it and definitely find a new niche.

Even though Script Frenzy retired, I got inspired. So far I have created a contemporary version of Julius Caesar and the school’s drama teacher showed interest in it, as did one of my students who called the role of Anthony.  I’ll keep you posted of the world premiere. I also morphed Hamlet and Alice in Wonderland, mixing in a bit Wizard of Oz. It’s definitely a work in progress, as they say.

Since screenplays didn’t pan out for me, I am converting them into stageplays.  I hope to dive into my languishing pile of manuscripts and toss them around in my Celtx program and see if they Presto! into plays.

Gosh! I  love writing!  There is such a variety and formats to try out and play with.  It’s like dress up with words.

Any of you try out a new writing form with success?

A Quiver of Quotes


perusing through a recently acquired preview AP textbook, I couldn’t help but appreciate the assortment of writerly quotes sprinkled throughout the book.  A collector of words, I knew I had to gather them, and words, like arrows, fly straight, cleaving the mark true and fair when the marksman is skilled and the aim is practiced.  (ooh, maybe that will end up in a textbook someday…)

Never mistake motion for action–Ernest Hemingway

 

 It is not necessary to portray many characters. The center of gravity should be in two persons:  him and her. —Anton Chekov

Anton Chekhov

Anton Chekhov (Photo credit: blue_paper_cranium)

To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.–Herman Melville

It is the writer’s privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart.–William Faulkner

For me, fiction is life transformed and fueled by imagination.–Dagoberto Gilb

A ration of failures is built into the process of writing. The wastebasket has evolved for a reason.–Margaret Atwood

When I’m asked what made me into a writer, I point to the watershed experience of coming to this country. Not understanding the language, I had to pay close attention to each word–great training for a writer. —Julia Alvarez

English: Photo of Julia Alvarez from Interview...

English: Photo of Julia Alvarez from Interview with LaBloga. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Not all things are to be discovered; many are better concealed.–Sophocles

Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree.–Ezra Pound

You must write.  It’s not enough to start by thinking. You become a writer by writing.–R.K. Narayan

Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests.
I’ll dig with it.
Seamus Heaney

 

 

Pinning My Interests Away


I’m stuck.  I’m stuck on the how and why I am venturing out on the newest craze of “HeyLookAtMe” socializing: this week it’s Pintrest. It must be that hermit in me that is holding out on sticking up photos of couches, cupcakes, book covers, pets, and favorite movies. I don’t get the concept of pinning up photos.  But that’s a whole ‘nother post in itself.

English: Red Pinterest logo

English: Red Pinterest logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’ve been doing some pondering of late about the whole tizzifying concept of web presence.  If publishers, agents, editors, even fans (thinking someday potential) exonerate and extol the virtues and necessity of working The Web–well, then I guess it should be done.  I thought I was doing pretty well with a biweekly post to my blog.  Apparently that’s not enough.  I should have a Facebook account (I don’t).  I should also Tweet, Tumble, Stumble Upon, and be Linked In with others–I did try, but the bigger question came up: when exactly am I to find time to write if I’m busy telling everyone that I’m writing?  Here’s some more figuring, a step up from pondering:

It takes time to …

  • Sign up
  • Create a profile
  • Check messages
  • Answer messages, invitations, reply back
  • Update the profile page
  • Again
  • Redecorate the home page
  • Again
  • Create a post
  • Postdate my posts
  • Get lost visiting other blogger’s sites
  • Leave pithy comments
  • And on, and on

All this activity consumes my precious time needed to write.  I decided I found myself running around checking too many little fires instead of enjoying the warmth of the bigger one I had built.  That’s metaphor speak for all that time and energy linking, tweeting, facing, and pinning, and stumbling, and what other web verbage is out there, left no time for the actual purpose of kindling* those web fires in the first place: my real writing–picture books, YA novels, poetry, middler reader renderings.  My cow joke manuscript is languishing.  I should be pursuing that publisher tip I received last year at the SCBWI conference. Yes, there are publishers who looking for a cow joke book for their list.

Sigh. My writing languishes while I coax and blow on the embers of a handful of hopeful flames of recognition.  So I shall not be poking at smolderings any longer; I shall stick to the toasty warmth of WordPress.  Especially since I’ve discovered the scheduled post option.  I now have time to attend conferences, revise current projects, and reflect upon yet another rejection letter.

So, wonderful reader(s)–have you found that all those web verbage fires leave you a bit cold, considering all the effort it takes to get them going?

*kindle, Not Kindle–not an intentional pun

Blue Skies,
CM

Blog Hop


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Valerie Lawson is one gung-ho gal when it comes to writing and getting published.  From her detailed commentary from attending the Big SCBWI Conference to contests to writing tips she knows how to motivate and inspire.  That’s why I jumped at her latest writing endeavor (see above).

The Next Big Thing comes at a great time for me because I am determined to get my manuscripts out into the hands of editors and agents this year. I recently sent an agent  one of my YA manuscripts and I am awaiting her response.  So, here I go with my Blog Hop contribution:

1. What is the working title of your book?
FreeFall
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
For a time I was a teacher in an alternative program and there were a couple of male students who struggled with trying to change the direction of how their life was headed. Fighting, a tough home life, and going to juvie hall were aspects of life they dealt with. I saw how they struggled to keep from falling further into a destructive lifestyle. I also saw the need for a strong male mentor to step in and help befriend these guys and so  with these elements before me I sat down and the story began writing itself.
3. What genre does your book come under?
Definitely YA, although I believe adults would find interest in the interrelationships.
4.  Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I’m not much up on teen actors these days, but I did keep a mental picture of a young Matt Dillon (Outsiders vintage) in mind for Wes, the lead protagonist.
5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Sometimes to keep from falling we need to accept the hand of friendship.
6. Is your book self-published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?
It is currently being reviewed by an agent.
7. How long did it take to write the first draft of your manuscript?
The first draft took about a year to write and I submitted chapters through my writing group and through Inkpop when the site was up and running. I also received feedback from an editor at an SCBWI conference. I’ve been working on polishing the manuscript over the last couple of years based on feedback received.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I think of Ponyboy from The Outsiders and how he tried to overcome the difficulties of his life, but The Outsiders isn’t really my inspiration, only the struggles are– of a young man with potential who is caught up in a lifestyle he wants to get out of, yet isn’t sure how to do so. Any YA books where the protagonist is in conflict with himself, as well as conflict with society would be the main genre.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book? See #2
10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Feedback received mention the high school action being realistic, along with the shifting dynamics of longtime friendship that’s changing. There’s also a great scene of a three on three basketball competition. The biggest grabber is the opening.  Here it is:

          Falling.  Air rushing past him.  Rippling his cheeks, his clothes, coursing over him like cool river water.  Arms spread-eagled out, he faces the approaching ground with a smile.  Yeah.  Getting closer, closer.  Any time now.  Not quite there. Pull!

          “You’re dead.”

          Wes slammed the console.  “No way.  The machine is off.  I had it timed.”

          Nick smirked. “Game over. You’re dead.  You didn’t pull the rip cord in time.  And you are now splattered all over some farmer’s field in Kansas.  You cut it too close every time.”

          Still tingling from the game’s adrenaline rush, Wes stepped out of the game booth. He got such a rush playing Free Fall.  There was something about jumping out into nothing but the blue sky and screaming down towards earth.

Thanks, Valerie for the inclusion to The Next Big Thing. Be sure to check out her site and the others who have participated.

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FreeFall: a novel of a young man who needs to change his direction in life

Happy Pages!

#9: Poems to Know and Grow On


It’s been too long since I paid attention to my Musings of a Voracious Reader list.  Tidying up my files I discovered entry #9: Poems to Know and Grow On and it seems quite appropriate as a post-Valentine’s Day post, since poetry is the food of love (right next to chocolate).

As I teach poetry, especially as I prepare my AP students for their exams in May, I am reading more and more poets and poetry.  This is a good thing.  In fact, I am now taking on what I have deemed as the “Emily Project” which is discovering Emily Dickinson.  Understanding her would be another project in itself.

As I teach, read, and study poems I have gathered a few along the way.  I dearly wish I had a better knack for memorization because I would like to pull out a poem for any occasion and dazzle, delight, and demonstrate the power of poetry to any willing listener. I love it when that moment arrives in a movie when one character starts a poem and another finishes it.  Remember Willoughby and Marianne from Sense and Sensibility? *sigh*

This is simply a sprinkling of poems I have deemed worth knowing and to grow on:

1. My First Memory (of Librarians) by Nikki Giovanni–a Book Booster’s banner poem of delight

2. Harlem (A Dream Deferred) by Langston Hughes–his imagery is enviable

3.Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins–enjoy poetry, don’t tie it to a chair and beat a confession out of it (love this)

4. Hope Is A Thing With Feathers by Emily Dickinson–hope wings its way into our hearts

5. The Road Not Takenby Robert Frost–almost clichéd by its overuse, it’s still a powerful statement about making choices

6. The Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll–delightfully fun for any age

7. This Is Just To Say by William Carlos Williams–after I discovered this was actually a note to his wife I embraced the poem even more

8. The Tyger by William Blake–imagine seeing a tiger for the first time; how can something so exquisitely beautiful be also so incredibly deadly?

9. One Art by Elizabeth Bishop–the more I read Bishop the more I realize what talent she has for capturing life’s moments

10.I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman–“a sweaty-toothed madmen” claimed Todd from Dead Poets Society, when asked what he thought of Uncle Walt; Whitman is clearly underrated (check out the Poem Flow when you hit the link or better yet check out this YouTube)

11. Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare–the Bard employs his wit whilst he poketh funneth at the syrupy nature of sonnets

12. We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks–no matter the era, youth’s self-destruction prevails

13. Fog by Carl Sandburg–its simplicity speaks volumes

14. The Daffodils by William Wordsworth–my heart gladdens of spring’s promise as the daffodils lift their golden heads above winter’s chilly grasp

And there are  fourteen poems, a drop of verses in the deep well of that which stirs the soul, as a nod to Valentine’s Day and the tradition of sweet rhymes, chocolate, and roses.

One last poem to know and grow on, not necessarily my favorite, but definitely memorable.  True love is memorable, as Poe so deftly renders in this tribute to his lost love. This one usually makes my ninth grade students pause, which is one reason I refer to it.

Annabel Lee

by Edgar Allan Poe
It was many and many a year ago,
   In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
   By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
   Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
   In this kingdom by the sea:
But we loved with a love that was more than love--
   I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
   Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
   In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
   My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
   And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
   In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
   Went envying her and me--
Yes!--that was the reason (as all men know,
   In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
   Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
   Of those who were older than we--
   Of many far wiser than we--
And neither the angels in heaven above,
   Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee:

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling--my darling--my life and my bride,
   In her sepulchre there by the sea,
   In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Virginia Poe watercolor painted after her deat...

Virginia Poe watercolor painted after her death in 1847. From eapoe.org Category:Edgar Allan Poe (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Little Write Lies We Tell


I think the best writing advice I have taken to heart lately comes from one of my latest reads, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.  Francie, the protagonist, is a girl of poverty and determination. She begins writing stories that please her teacher, ones that are about butterflies and happiness, receiving praise and the coveted “A” grade mark.  She then switches to tell life how it really is, the heartache of tenement living, and this alienates her teacher.  Fortunately, her teacher sees the struggle Francie is faced with: the write truth does not mean the right truth.

Here is the advice she gives Francie:

“You know, Francie, a lot of people would think that these stories that you’re making up all the time were terrible lies because they are not the truth as people see the truth.  In the future, when something comes up, you tell exactly how it happened but write down for yourself the way you think it should have happened. Tell the truth and write the story. Then you won’t get mixed up.”

 

Another author who swerves  from truthtelling into storytelling is Tim O’Brien, well known for his The Things They Carried.  I found a fascinating article from the United States Naval Academy, of all places, in which there is discussion concerning future military leaders and their discernment of what is truth.  The article relates this need of truth in leaders with a literary course with O’Brien’s novel as the text: (highlights are mine)

Fiction proves the golden means between absolute truth and absolute dream. It is impossible to ascertain the absolute truth of an experience, but it is nevertheless critical that one try to ascertain the multiple truths, to be “in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact & reason,” and this challenge marks the human condition. Fiction is neither counter to nor identical with the truth, though given the exigencies of war, fiction often provides the best approximation of reality; as O’Brien writes in “How to Tell a True War Story,” “In war you lose your sense of the definite, hence your sense of truth itself, and therefore it’s safe to say that in a true war story nothing is ever absolutely true” (TTTC, 82). O’Brien claims that “My role is not to solve mysteries, but to expand them… To ultimately make readers think of their lives in terms of ambiguity. It’s the human condition and we’re uncertain about almost everything” (Hicks, 89-90). The storyteller takes the facts of experience and embellishes or even alters them in order to get at a closer experience of truth; O’Brien finds in fiction the possibility of expressing “that surreal seemingness, which makes the story seem untrue, but which in fact represents the hard and exact truth as it seemed” (TTTC, 71). Thus, the capacity to tell a story, to make a factual account that leaves out the subjective experience into a fictional but seemingly more truthful account, is essential to understanding the experience of war for all involved and to beginning the long process of recovering from its damages and of correcting its failures.

A US Serviceman reading an Armed Services Edit...

A US Serviceman reading an Armed Services Edition of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Tell the truth. Write the story.

Anyone know if a poster of this ideal exists out there?  It would go well on my office wall.

Loving, Living, and Liebstering


I am always glad to turn the calendar page to February for several reasons.  First all, once January is past I begin to rally and anticipate spring, which, of course is next month, and spring leads into summer.  Secondly, there’s Valentine’s Day, and although I’m not real keen on a forced holiday I do like that it’s about love, appreciation, and chocolate.  Plus, it’s fun to see all those cute red and pink heart decorations when shopping (and there are no annoying overdone Christmas songs blasting all over).

So with my happy dance getting underway it was pleasant to open my blog notification up to see http://artsandyouthlove.wordpress.com/ had nominated me for the Liebster Award.  Lovely!  Thank you!!

The rules of the Liebster Award are as follows :

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog and link back to the blogger who presented this award to you.

2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator, list 11 random facts about yourself and create 11 questions for your nominees.

3. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 11 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been chosen. (No tag backs)

4. Copy and Paste the blog award on your blog

Questions Answered:

  1. Do you like answering random questions? If given time to think about the answer, I’m okay with it.
  2. If you could meet anyone, who would it be? Living? Meryl Streep or Bobby McFarrin Past? Helen Keller
  3. If you could change your talent for another talent, what would it be? Hmm, I really like writing, and as much I would like to become a world-renowned juggler I will stick to writing, thanks anyway for the wish wand
  4. Do you listen to more than one genre of music? Absolutely!  I’m open to pretty much everything that doesnt’ involve screaming lyrics or screaming guitars. Not too fond of opera or country music though.
  5. What’s your favorite junk food? Is dark chocolate junk food?
  6. Do you watch tv? Blech!!!!!
  7. How do you feel about Valentine’s Day? Hallmark induced sentimentality.  Everyday is a day to express love and appreciation to people.
  8. What is your favorite movie genre? Old black and white comedies, especially Katherine Hepburns, Gary Coopers, Cary Grants.  Don’t mind a good old John Wayne western now and then.
  9. What is your favorite season? Summer 🙂
  10. Do you find it hard to create and answer random questions? Not really, but is this really a question?
  11. How’s your week going? It’s Friday.  Nice….

Elevensies for the next batch of nominees:

1.  It’s 2pm on a sunny Saturday–where are you and what are you doing?

2.  Given the choice of reading a classic novel or the latest bestseller which do you prefer?

3.  Could you work in a job without a window?

4. How do you celebrate the first day of vacation?

5.  Who is your favorite poet?

6.  Do you think technology is affecting they way we converse with one another?

7.  Here’s the magic wand–what’s your wish?

8.  What country would you visit if you won the sweepstakes?

9.  Which pet do you prefer–traditional (dog) or exotic (hedgehog)?

10.  How many blogs do you read during the week?

11.  What do you think of blog awards?

Here are my nominees (and if you are over 200 followers because I couldn’t find your follower indicator, you are still wonderfully worthy of Liebster Blogging Kudos) and I went with reading/writing-themed blogs this time:

1.http://angelagodbout.wordpress.com/

2. http://wetinkpresspublishing.com/

3.http://alibilibrary.com/

4. http://joanngrasso.wordpress.com/

5. http://lazycoffees.wordpress.com/

6. http://runnerwithwords.wordpress.com/

7. http://redpeffer.me/

8. http://literaryman.com/

9. http://ctwesting.com/

10. http://jenniferkblog.wordpress.com/

11. http://befferkins.wordpress.com/

As for the stuff about me…eh, I’ll pass for now. The sun is out after a long absence and it’s time to walk around the block for a dose of vitamin D.

Happy Pages!

Being Happy with Bobby


Saturday I needed to suck it up and get happy about going back to work.  What better inspiration booster than with the original “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” guy, Bobby McFerrin.

image: listal.com

We should all be fairly familiar with McFerrin’s contribution to pop culture with his catchy tune about not letting life get us down.  That little song he wrote is not the real Robert.  Dig deeper and you will find he is the son of two opera singers who surrounded their impressionable son with music.  Yet, it wasn’t until his late twenties that McFerrin realized he wasn’t cut out to be a musician; he, with great epiphany, realized he should become a singer. The world is better place for that realization.

  • Highlights of McFerrin’s career include Bill Cosby’s discovering him, which led to his involvement in the Playboy Jazz Festival and performing the opening to The Cosby Show.
  • Ten time Grammy winner. Ten!
  • Began conducting at the age of 40 and has conducted all over the world.

Yet, McFerrin has not let the fame of his popular song direct his pathway.  In fact, he does not even sing “DWBH” in his concerts.  The fame spotlight actually made him disappear for nearly two years and when he reemerged he had learned how to conduct orchestras.

The concert I watched was his Bobby McFerrin–Live in Montreal. Clad in jeans and bright red t-shirt with his prominent lengthy braids tucked up around his head, McFerrin reminded me of a modern day Puck.  Even though McFerrin is in his sixties he is still playful and has been known to completely improvise concerts. This concert had a street tapper, a trapeze artist, a choir, musicians, and of course his trademark interactive style of involving the audience.

If you are not familiar with McFerrin’s style it would be difficult to pinpoint it.  He is a singer, true; however, he is a vocal virtuoso who is versed in the science and play of music. Watching him it is with disbelief how he can use his voice and his body to create a tune.  You haven’t seen anything until you see him perform his version of The Wizard of Oz, complete with tornado.

After the DVD ended I had to have more and hopped on my iPhone and spent the next three hours watching music videos.  One of the best finds was the hour-long Israel Symphony concert.  I’m still smiling thinking about the absolute  joy Bobby brings as a performer.  Whenever the audience begins to clap he lightly waves them off, as if saying, “ssh, just listen–this is no big deal.”

I’ve listened to McFerrin for years, enjoying his partnerships with various artists, an especial favorite being Hush with Yo Yo Ma.  But to truly enjoy McFerrin is to watch him live.

image: wikipedia.org

 

I hope to make my way to one of his concerts some day.  Until then–Yay for the numerous YouTube videos available.

Oh, and of course, there has to be a tie-in to books if I mention him in my blog.  And here it is:

  • image: ecrater.com

I hope when you need to not worry and need to get some happy you will look up Bobby McFerrin. Here’s the little song (video) he wrote:

Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don’t worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don’t worry, be happy……

Ain’t got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don’t worry, be happy
The land lord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don’t worry, be happy
Look at me I am happy
Don’t worry, be happy
Here I give you my phone number
When you worry call me
I make you happy
Don’t worry, be happy
Ain’t got no cash, ain’t got no style
Ain’t got not girl to make you smile
But don’t worry be happy
Cause when you worry
Your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don’t worry, be happy (now)…..

There is this little song I wrote
I hope you learn it note for note
Like good little children
Don’t worry, be happy
Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
But when you worry
You make it double
Don’t worry, be happy……
Don’t worry don’t do it, be happy
Put a smile on your face
Don’t bring everybody down like this
Don’t worry, it will  soon pass
Whatever it is
Don’t worry, be happy

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/onehitwonders/dontworrybehappylyrics.html

 

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