I was going through my old writing pads and found this that I had written in December 2005, towards the end of yet another Michigan Winter. I’d like to share this with you all along with a short melody I recorded this afternoon. I don’t know yet whether I will take it forward or keep ir where it is. I have no name for it yet.
I reckon I’ll just call it “The Final Hour” to match the story of a young stranger below. Hope you mates enjoy it. Click here for the MP3. Please bear with the noise during recording 
It so reminds me of Beethoven, who said that the D minor is the saddest of all chords. No wonder so many of my songs are based on D minor including this melody. Here is the poem I wrote in Dec. 2005
The candle softly flickers before the final hour
A strong puff of wind whispers in the quiet
Somewhere in the forest down by the stream
A strange young beauty stumbles in the night
Back in the days I knew such a place
I too have seen it with my own eyes
Mist in the mountains, snow in the hills
Ye, I have seen a true paradise
But here I live away from my mountains
Friends and foes, they’re all long gone
Stay young stranger, light me a fire
Hand me the fiddle – I’ll sing you a song
Back in the wondrous days of my yore
Never did I know I’d be the one
Making people dance to an old melody
Sitting by the fire till the night was done
But here I sit in the shade of my dreams
Sure is kind for you to come along
Times are hard, but this I will say
Stay young stranger – I’ll sing you a song
Stay till the shades of night are gone.
Gautam Dhar
6th December 2005
Lansing, Michigan
P.S. The photo is of a lake in Ganges, Michigan. I took it during the Gita Retreat in September 2006.
Very nicely written….and the melody is beautiful…I wonder how it’ll be when you take it forward…. 🙂
I might leave the old man where he is along with this tune. Sometimes a short melody is all it takes to light a candle 😀
absolutely lovely tune! goes well with the poem…awaiting ur voice now… 🙂
poem is written very well indeed…
keep up the good work 🙂
Well done. Keep the Final Hour tune of the guitar where it is right now. Don’t extend it. The poem surely is more matured and simply compliments the Old Man. You are ageing too fast boy.
Music is soothingly melodious to hear as a background to the poem reminiscing of the misty mountain and snowy hills in the flickering candle going to end soon! A little longer the music is prolonged the better it will be for listening the pleasure of readers like me as I am a great lover of guitar music of melodious singers like The Beatles and Shadows or Ventures of the past!
Thanks everyone 🙂
nice lines and picture.
sounds mystic to me !!!