Saturday, April 8, 2017

Potholes, An “epic” song inspired by John Milton’s Paradise Lost by Paul Esch

Potholes, An “epic” song inspired by John Milton’s Paradise Lost by Paul Esch

I performed the following song live in studio for Joe Soucheray and Matthew "Rookie" Michalski on the Garage Logic Show from KSTP 1500 in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1997.

Potholes got you down?  Hear the recording at https://soundcloud.com/paul-g-esch

Sing Muse,
How heroes fought that day
To rescue from the canyon gray
Dear Mulciber* my Chevrolet.
‘Boding heavens were dark that date,
Perhaps to fatefully indicate
The pothole peril that did wait.
Cursing, yelling, honking hard,
Homeward sped this weary bard
Along St. Peter’s Boulevard.
When into cavern car and all,
Plunging headlong in the fall
I bounced out like a basketball.
O Guilty Gully! O Ravenous Rut!
Whose jaws, this Spring, the crews will shut,
I am the more unfortunate.
But plummeting into Tartarus deep,
Mulciber I can not keep.
He lies at bottom, a hideous heap.
Hook and ladder, hoist and crane,
Too short to draw him from the bane.
Throw flowers, O ye funeral train.

 *Mulciber, known by the Greeks as Hephaesus, by the Romans as Vulcan, was the smithy god whose workshop was in the depths of a volcanic mountain. Milton wrote that he was thrown from heaven,
“By angry Jove, sheer o’er the crystal battlements: from morn to noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve, A summer’s day; and with the setting sun dropped from the zenith like a falling star, on Lemnos, th’ Aegean Isle. Paradise Lost, BK I


©1985, 1997 Paul Esch. All Rights Reserved. 651-501-7979

The Paul Esch Band performs 20-25 shows every year.  If you appreciate live acoustic music click here PaulEschMusic.com for our event calendar and more information. 

Prayer of an Artist


A number of years ago I enjoyed taking a creativity class with Rosanne Bane, author of Dancing in the Dragon's Den.  I'm grateful to former band members Bob Messerich and the late John Morris who introduced me to Rosanne. At that time I was also reading the Artist's Way by Julia Cameron and was inspired to write this simple prayer.

Prayer of an Artist
O God, my Creator and maker of all things beautiful and good,
Teach me and guide me in new ways of love and creativity.
Empower me to use the many gifts you have so generously blessed me with.
Help me to live always freshly and honestly, peacefully and joyfully,
Free from fear and full of love, open to your expansive ways,
Trusting always, free to create as an act of grateful worship to You,
Unbound from negative and limiting patterns and in kind service to others.

©1997 Paul Esch. All Rights Reserved. 651-501-7979

I am very much looking forward to performing again with Tim Sunde on bass and John Hiiva on drums.

Live Acoustic Music by the Paul Esch Trio - Upcoming Performances
  • Indian Island Winery in Janesville Minnesota
  • Swirl My Wine (next to the Afton House) in Afton, MN
  • The Bungalow Inn in Lakeland Minnesota

For more info, calendar of events go to PaulEschMusic.com