The weasel ego pops up and says, "not enough,You will lose if you are nice.  Let fear be your guide." You might squelch The weasel ego for a bit, but it will keep popping up.  It is searching for food: fear, worry, comparing itself to others.  The more it is fed these things, the less satisfied it is.  Feed it love and calmness and it will curl up to sleep and give you a bit of rest.

Will Stiles's Album

Weasel Ego

Dreamy hypnorock song of a true event. 
On my way to class by the Student Union plaza in 1972.  I was already late, so joined the crowd to watch a small man in a white robe sitting on a pillow.  His long black hair and beard moved as he spoke.  2 big handsome men sat on either side of him playing instruments,  He spoke with energy and told everyone to follow the law of the universe and not to get caught up in religions and petty political disagreements.  When he was finished, I walked up to thank him for sharing his powerful words.  He looked up at me and smiled and his eyes shown with the light of stars.  There were no pupils.  They were just eyes of light.  I didn't ever see him on campus again.  But I will never forget.  Magic is alive.

eyes of light 2+

A song I wrote about how a baby becomes the focal point of a person's life.  The small beautiful person has needs that are more important than anyone's personal problem.  The most important job in the world is  given to the least experienced.  There is no real guidebook and every situation that arises is unique to the child and parent.  Now, I am a Grandfather, and once again I see, what an honor and joy and amazing hard work it is to raise a child, and how It really is, all about the baby.

BABY2+

A song I made up while holding my 9 month old grandson Lev and looking out our kitchen window at a pond with a hummingbird feeder hanging above it.  It is a soft and gentle little tune and is peaceful. He likes it, I like it and the hummingbird seems to like it because he often comes and drinks sweet sugar water when I sing it.  The painting of the Hummingbird is by Lev's great aunt, Emily Vines.  Many Thanks.

User You's Album

Little Hummingbird

Inspired by one of my favorite people.  Funny, sometimes sarcastic, always kindhearted and generous.  A talented carpenter, boatman, and all around good guy.  A loving father, grandfather and husband.  He moved on too quickly from this world.
Hopefully, this song reflects some of the excitement and good feelings that he generated in his daily life.  He was a person folks respected and admired immediately.
He was my cousin and i am lucky I got to know him.  I will miss him.  Thanks Ryan.

Sparks*

The Icelandic waves react to the strong wind as the small boat and rower make their way to shore.  They are almost home.
Birds circle and spin overhead on gusts of wind.
The waves and sea are truly an Icelandic ocean sound from 78924 dobroide thank you.
The mandolin echoes and rides on the wind and sea.  So close to shore we can see the light from the imagine Peace tower on Videy island.  We are one with the world and each other.
The light from the Peace tower is gracing the Aurora Borealis and Icelandic night with a wish for universal oneness and Peace.

Rowing to Iceland

Radiatore or radiatori is the wonderful sauce soaking pasta that looks like little radiators and make smiles radiate from the faces of children of all ages.  Cooked al dente they can make a filling and satisfying meal.  Radiatore is also another in the Pasta series of songs I created to celebrate "noodling".  Our professional musician friend said, "No noodling", as we played around and jammed on a song.  He said it was just playing as many notes as possible without any regard to the song or the story the song conveyed.
Self indulgent.  But, noodling can be super fun and can even convey the song itself.  Joy radiating from the exquisite fun of sliding up and down the scale to find the song hidden within the time and space. Image by E. Michael Smith

Radiatore

Walking on Robson in Vancouver B.C., a beautiful girl walked up to me and looked me straight in the eyes and said, "It's good to be alive."  I couldn't help but agree and I thought I must share this message with my friends.  Most know it but some are torn by sadness and confusion.  Don't get hung up on the details and troubles.  Help someone else and you will soon see,"It's good to be alive."  Picture is of my grandpa, his brother and their friend a long time ago.

Good To Be Alive +

Ohana in Hawaiian culture refers to family.  It can refer to direct relatives or can include societal or even sports groups as in the paddling community.  Here it refers to the Human Family and even the unity of all energy as an interconnected whole.
We are one family under the sun.  "Ohana means no one is left behind, or forgotten."  It engenders a feeling that one is part of rather than apart from.  This song wrote itself in my head as I was worried about all the sad news lately.  It helps me to cheer up and carry on.  Thanks!

Ohana"

A friend described herself as a bit afraid of folks and she tended to shy away from parties but when she got there and was in tune with her friends she was funny and fun and came out of her shell.
She described herself as a gregarious introvert.  I could relate.
I am one too.

Gregarious Introvert

On Lummi Island driving to the top by the little lake we saw some discarded stair steps leaning against some blackberry brambles.  It started nowhere and seemed to go nowhere.  My friend said,"You should write a song about that." So I did.  The stairs in this picture happen to be in Sisters Oregon and are called Stiles.
They are a way to move from one pasture to the other without opening a gate and chance letting the animals out.  Up and Down.  Nowhere?

Stairs To Nowhere

Someone Calling My Name+

Deep in the mind primeval is the feeling that the spirit never dies and science has shown that energy never disappears.  A restful little song about how humans are the channel of love on this planet and feed the material and spirit world.  Just imagine you are the fountain of love on Earth.  No one can do it but you.  That's why you're alive.  Ghosts need love.  This Picture taken by Miriam is a Neolithic tomb in Southern Spain near Granada.  Families were laid to rest together in these incredible stone tombs with love and respect.  Truly a wonder of the world.

Ghosts Need Love#

After the election 2016 there were many stories about how the doomsday clock had moved much closer to world destruction than before.  The uncertainty and confusion around the world and the more xenophobic and nationalist stances of many countries created an atmosphere of impending disaster.  It inspired me to create a dystopian wind down with Beautiful Brahm's lullaby playing on a child's toy with noises of heaviness and rushing speed.  Initially, the Doomsday Clock was intended to warn humans of the consequences of reckless activity but seems to have given the impression that since we have 2.5 minutes, there is plenty of time to screw around.

Doomsday Clock

Reflecting on the miracle of water and life and beauty.  The mirror image reflects reality so perfectly sometimes that one can only see the difference between fact and fiction by the merest wavering of the reflected image.   You are a miracle in every facet of your being.  We can be so caught up in counting our worries and multiplying our imperfections to the exclusion of realizing that we are on a tiny blue ball soaring through infinite space and that our conscious being self is the greatest miracle of all.  I wrote this poem to try to convey this feeling.  Be still like the water, reflect like the water.  Thank you.

Reflecting on a Miracle

My friend Stephanie in describing a long lingering summer wrote that the summer was hanging on like a calf refusing to be weaned.  Such a beautiful description of warm nights and hot days inspired banjos and children calling in joy as they jumped into a pond to cool off.  This is a picture of a beautiful maple tree by Germany Creek with a rope swing and hidden tree house on the lower pasture.  I painted it many years ago but still go there in my dreams.  So much to be thankful for.  Thanks 

Refusing to be Weaned

Little one put your toys away
You've had fun playing games all day.
Go to bed, go to sleep
My sleepyhead.
When I was little, we had an album called King Cole for Kids
Featuring the Nat King Cole Trio.
Such beautiful music and this was one of the tunes.
I play the Harmonica with a sleep inducing serenade.
Such sweet memories.  Thank you.

Sleepy head

A high school reunion can produce a bit of anxiety 
but when all is said and done, it can be a lot of fun.

Urban Squirrels

Reunion

Dropping toast or a life perspective.  Either way, Keep on smiling.  Keeping things hopping even when the tide seems against us.  This pic is of our crew running square into a Lazer sailboat in the Columbia River gorge.  It cut directly in front of us and the sailor must have thought it was going faster than it was.  Our canoe hit it broadside and it tipped over but the sailor hopped up unhurt, stood on the center board to right the boat and zoomed away.   A happy accident.  Nobody hurt and a story to share.  The race continued.

Butter side down

Sweet piece for a sweet soul to repair and thrive.  Lift and fly.  So grateful to learn from a fighter.
Thank you.

Rainlyn

Daring to challenge oneself.  Always ready to fall but not falling. Exuding confidence but fearful.  Haven't fallen yet.  Why Worry?
Middle of the pack, Not for him.  He is the Edgewalker.  Soon to be caught without a ledge or edge to walk on.  Bon Voyage.

Edgewalker

The Famed psychic healer, in the guise of a sweet elderly lady, touched the wastrel on the shoulder, looked into his eyes, and declared, 
"You are a channel for the Brotherhood".
She then wandered off as a chorus sang, "God is love".  The wastrel wondered what the Brotherhood was for nearly forty more years and continued to try to channel, "God is Love".   Seth Speaks and the Family of Man listens.  Quasimodo in a tinfoil hat channels love to every laundromat.  Keep it clean.

Channel+

Hot summer night crickets singing while we walk by water reflecting moon and trails of streaming light.  Dreamlike surprise Passion in a kiss.  Rest in the sand and listen to the cosmos sing a soul song.  Long ago in the heat.

Kimmers

A poem about a beautiful night paddling outrigger.  The night was cold and clear and the orange moon came up over the Cascade Mountains to the East.  Crazy Beautiful.

Crazy Beautiful

Every year since I turned 60, I have written a poem.  It is fun to look back and see what I was feeling at that time and now.  Word puzzles that convey feeling and capture thoughts and dreams.
Now it is 2021 and I am 68 years old.  Amazing.  Thank you to all my friends and family and the Great Spirit, of course.

Picture sound stories move through in waves.  Universal love dissolves unresolved resolutions.  
Emotions freed by rhythm flow fluidly into picture sound stories.  
Every soul's vibration is singing to be released to join other soul vibrations in harmony.
Music flows in a quest for release of soul vibration.  Don't analyze, be surprised.

wimstiles

Popular tracks