Leslie's Kitchen looked out on a pond that used to have koi... until one particularly cold winter. She kept the windows wide open though they had no screens - ladybugs and bees flew back out just as easily as they flew in. Outside, her kids and dog would be playing in the garden until called for supper. How she loved her old pine table and souveniers from her grandmother's cottage.

Leslie now lives on an urban lake in and swims with loons.

This track will become part of my next EP, The Fang Sessions Vol 2
[Recorded at Fang Recording Studios, Halifax Nova Scotia 2024]

Visit YouTube.com/@GentlePassionsMusic for my music videos.

Leslie's Kitchen℗ words and music by Philip M Howard
=======================================

Verse 1
Leslie’s kitchen’s where the sun shines in
And the window’s open all day
She wants to hear just where you’ve been
And you hope she’s hoping you’ll stay

There’s the pond in the garden
And the glass full of wine
And you started your story
When you lost all track of time


Chorus1
And she’s got down home sushi
With some wakame
On a table made of old pine
Grandmother’s cottage cutlery
And supper’s always on time
And you know it’s going to be fine

Verse 2
Leslie’s house has a big front door
Where the porch is shaded from sun
Her dog was sleeping just inside
But he’s glad to see that you’ve come

And her kids in the garden
Dog in the hall
Piano in the living room
With music for us all

Chorus2
And she’s got east coast chowder
With a lobster roll
On a table made of old pine
Grandmother’s cottage cutlery
And supper’s always on time
And you know it’s going to be fine

Instrumental Break

Verse 3
Leslie’s garden’s where her good food grows
Tomatoes sugar snap peas
And the dreams she grew all summer long
She harvests now with ease

Up with the sunrise
Fresh morning light
Weeding the furrows
Til everything feels right

Chorus3
And she’s got fresh green salad
With the cheddar cheese
On a table made of old pine
Grandmother’s cottage cutlery
And supper’s always on time
And you know it’s going to be fine

Leslie's Kitchen

Version of Shred of my memory over on https://youtu.be/nTIs04Xj6NA?si=hAl9wtwuPIy_dYyJ

Shreds 09

008HM02-S1- Electric Fable Extract

l'art pour l'art - Chiaroscur
April 2025
Duration: 3:10
Listen to the Playlist, l'art pour l'art: https://soundcloud.com/bruce-klepper-1/sets/lart-pour-lart
Cover art painting: Carol Klepper
Cover art lettering: John-Marc Ventimiglia
For guitar, harp, bansuri, Bhutan bells, Tibetan singing bowls, brushed gong, gong, virtual instruments and percussion

l'art pour l'art - Chiaroscur

When the wind blows

Into the Night

A murder STORY SONG! (but justified...???) Trying to balance what initially appears to be a love song with impending creepiness and uncomfortable legato string at the end. A Justice song. Just Us = Justice. get it? argh. Sorry to pun haters everywhere. Also, two syllable lines are hard.

Lyrics:

Met you
last train.
Soft laugh
cold rain.
Shared seat
cheap talk.
Missed stop,
slow walk.


Your coat,
my hands,
that night
began.

Heart rush,
Just This,
I stay,
for Just Us.
One touch,
we spin.
pull close,
breathe in.

Phone off,
no sound.
Old world,
shut down.
Tea steam,
thin light.
Your head
just right.

You trust,
I pour.
Warm lips,
want more.

Heart rush,
room slow.
I stay,
you know.
One touch,
we spin,
pull close,
breathe in.

Clock clicks,
too loud.
You fade,
I’m proud.

Glass falls,
pulse drops.
Love ends,
beat stops.
My smile,
your sigh.
One kiss,
goodbye.

You drank,
Justice.
For my
Sister.
Your fault,
She’s gone.
Farewell,
Bastard.

Just Us

Lyrics:

I see you in my dreams
Can't let your memory die
My heart's torn at the seams
Still asking myself why, why did we fall apart?
You left a mark on my heart
Thought we had forever, now it's just a scar
Sitting in silence, alone in the dark.

Tell me why we're through
Why did you say goodbye?
Can't stop missing you
It still hurts inside

The things you used to say
Haunt me day by day
Your laughter in the air
I turn, but you're not there
Was it all just a phase?
Feelings lost in the haze

Tell me why we're through
Why did you say goodbye?
Can't stop missing you
It still hurts inside

Was it a love for a season
Or just a fleeting reason?
I wish we could go back
Before our hearts cracked

Tell me why we're through
Why did you say goodbye?
Can't stop missing you
It still hurts inside

You called me late last night
Said you're lonely, but that's not okay.
You wanna make it right,
but I've moved too far away.

Turns out I’m doing fine
Since you left, I’m finally free.
All this time I thought I'd cry
But alone looks good on me.

Now I know we're through
Glad that you said goodbye.
No more missing you
Got you out of my mind.

Now I know we're through
I finally healed inside.

Heal

The Night will carry us

Facing it all

Philip joined the folk scene at Montreal’s renowned Yellow Door Coffee House in the late ‘60s playing the weekly open mic ‘Hoot Night’ and eventually earning a gig there. He was a regular participant in the downtown pub and youth centre scene of his generation.

During a varied non-musical career Philip continued to bring his music to open mics in London, UK (The Crypt, St. Martin in the Fields), Paris (Le Traditional Mountain Sound, St-Germain-des-Pres), and Sao Paulo, Brazil (Bom Motivo).

Philip’s music is the back catalog of his life. From lost loves of his youth to the discovery of a life partner in his elder years.

Philip now lives on an urban lake next to a conservation area and swims with loons.

Leslie's Kitchen

GentlePassionsMusic

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