Within and throughout this keenly arranged and choreographed troupe, poetry integrates and interacts with music in fresh and engaging ways, as Paul demonstrates yet again that all poets—“Cowboy” or otherwise—are, first and foremost, human being poets writing about living and dying on Planet Earth. (And sometimes beyond.)

This recording of 15 poems includes:
Luck of the Draw [listen to the track] [read the transcription]
The Hand [read the transcription]
What of the Ugly?
Smoke
Snapshot Gravity [read the transcription]
Las Ballenas de Bahia Magdalena / I Believe
Blue-Collar Light [read the transcription]
Shoes [read the transcription]
Hard Traveling
Last Rematch
Black Upon Tan
How the Beluga Spoons [read the transcription]
What Stephen Hawking Might Find [read the transcription]
The Day the War Began [listen to the track] [read the transcription]

[read the review by Tom Russell]
[read the review by Ray March]

What emboldened us on our Open Path launch into Collisions Of Reckless Love is the belief that poetry recited will, at times, blossom into song lyric sung. It might come as no surprise, then, that the front and back covers of this project metaphorically reflect my moseying into the studio most days with a Led Zeppelin Stairway To Heaven riff in my head, and heart: “There’s a feeling I get, when I look to the West, and my spirit is crying for leaving.” What ultimately defined our year-long journey, however, were lines from one of my own poems, Hard Traveling, dedicated to George Harrison—what defined us was our willingness to “...lay bare / all our magic, our miracles, all / the musical truths we are made of / before we move on.” We now invite you to unveil your unique musical truths, to sing along. Welcome to the cosmic choir.

                   With infinite thanks,
                   Paul Zarzyski

This record ascended out of Friendship—nothing more, everything less: thank you Elizabeth Dear, Judith Stevens, Tom Russell, Jim Rooney, Betsy Hagar, Quinton Duval, Lou Sorkin, Gordon, Tim, Lee, Scott of Open Path Music, the staff and fans of The Western Folklife Center in Elko, Nevada, and all the artists whose music collided recklessly and, therefore, creatively and lovingly with my words.

Collisions of Reckless Love CDs are available at the Western Folklife Center — www.westernfolklife.org or phone 775-738-7508, ext 2 — and at CD Baby — www.cdbaby.com

© Paul Zarzyski. All rights reserved. These words may not be reprinted or reposted without the author's written permission.