Dragons, Pooh Bear and Unicorns

The first song I can recall striking a deep emotional chord in me is Puff the Magic Dragon; I was four years old when it was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary in 1963 and the fate of poor Puff, destined to spend eternity waiting for Jackie Paper to return broke my heart and drove me to tears. I loved it. From the first note to the last I was carried away on ships that sailed to the lands of noble princes who bowed when ere we came. To this day I have a very soft spot in my heart for Puff the Magic Dragon.

While I am revealing secrets about what a sop I am I may as well tell you about the other song guaranteed to bring tears to my eyes. For those of you who know me, you may not be surprised to hear that the other song is Return to Pooh corner by Kenny Loggins. I am not precisely certain why this song evokes such a strong emotional response from me. I didn’t have a Pooh bear or anything resembling one and the whole idea of the 100 Acre Wood would have seemed the most natural thing in the world to me. At any rate, by the time I heard about Winnie the Pooh and his friends I was too old to be taken in by the cartoon and stories in the way that toddlers are. Nevertheless, I fell hook, line and sinker for Pooh and friends; I offer my collection of Winnie the Pooh paraphernalia as proof of my continued devotion to all things Pooh. Having said that, I confess that when I hear the song, Return to Pooh Corner, I often weep like a baby who cannot find a loved and favored blanket or bear.

Another song I have a strong attachment to is The Last Unicorn from the movie of the same name, performed by America. The song is about the unicorn telling the world that “I’m alive!” and you will not defeat me Come to think of it, there are too many songs that have special meaning for me, hundreds if not thousands of them actually. Oh well, I only wanted to share with you some of the music that I like the most.

There is always hope.