I love music. Don't we all? Especially songs with lyrics in them. It's amazing what songs, music can do for people, they make people less stressed, allow them to relax, to unwind, to drift away with it.

Poetry, music, the same thing. The funny thing about music, is that it transcends all barriers, don't you think? Whereas, for poetry, you'd have to translate it into the many different languages of the world before everyone would be able to understand or enjoy it. Music can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone. It doesn't even need words sometimes, all it needs is the tempo, the instruments used, and you get a wonderful tune.

Music can be used to convey messages, or to influence people's thinking. The one thing that I really love about music is that you can even carry it with you! No, I don't mean CDs, MDs or walkmans, what I mean is, in the old days, say, if you were a minstrel, you wouldn't have space for all those manuscripts! You would simply memorise the music! That's probably how the mixing of music began anyway, by some bored or innovative minstrel, mixing tunes that he had learnt together. Another thing, you don't necessarily need technology to listen to music, instruments can be used to play it 'live'.

That's why portable instruments are so popular. I mean, imagine trying to cart a huge grand piano around on your back! With smaller instruments like the guitar or violin, everyone all over the world, whether you're poor or rich, can listen to music.

I probably sound like a salesperson for music, but music is a great thing. Bascially, it's alot of beautiful, harmonious sounds put together. Music can do some incredible things, it can bring people together, make the hardest of hearts crumple and dissolve, and, of course, allow people to relax. Musicians can also express their thoughts through music, through the lyrics. Whether they're angry or sad, happy or annoyed, and what sort of childhood they had.

What's more, music's been around for a long time, much longer than, say, fashion, those glossy magazines your mother reads, or even football. This is one thing all of us have in common; we all have our own form of music, we all listen to music, and all of us like listening to music.

Windchimes.

softly touching,

resonating against the other,

as the wind sweeps past them.

gently,

each hitting the other,

ripples across a serene, glassy lake,

each ripple touching another ripple,

each chime sounding out its chord,

not discordant,

not clashing,

not loud or noisy,

soft,

peaceful,

quiet,

easily pervading the still air,

spreading its calming influence,

like dust settling on the dirt road,

reminiscent of those lazy days in the village,

of the breeeze tickling the wheat,

while it lay golden in the fields,

bringing back better memories,

thoughts of those precious years,

as the chimes softly mingled with the traffic noise outside.

--By Yue Lin,'Of Windchimes'

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