The hippogriff festival

**The hippogriff** is the ninth track on can opener's notebook: fish whisperer. It was released February 22, 2022 to Bandcamp and March 21, 2022 to YouTube.

## Description

“here’s what i remember. yona came in the next morning to check in on me, reminding me that the festival was today. at first i told her no. like, shit, i couldn’t see anyone in my condition. that’s what i was thinking. but she insisted. and she was like ‘bring your seashell collection too’, and how the festival is all about embracing yourself and the little things that make you ‘you’. but i kept saying ‘no, no, no’. but there’s this thing about yona, she’s yakier than the rest of the yaks. what does that mean? i think it means like she loves me. she loves me so unconditionally and i don’t really understand sometimes. it feels like i just came to yakyakistan a few days ago, but i’ve known her for a year now. am i really worth all that?

and i felt it all of a sudden. so i said yeah ok. i’ll go.

it was the first time i had been outside my cabin in days. i felt like i couldn’t see anyone. everyone was always looking at me i think. i dont know. but it took forever to get to the festival. there are two festivals: the hippogriff cultural festival and the yak cultural festival. each one is held in the opposite country. the yak cultural festival is held at the top of mount aris, while the hippogriff cultural festival is held in center of yakyakistan city. what i learned is that the school of friendship in equestria endeavoured to unite all the outlying nations from the pony lands, and in the process of that, the hippogriffs and yaks became very close. their cultures were the most different from ponies, and after the equestrian civil war of the late 2040’s, and the formation of the winter accords, their bonds became closer through their alliances in battle.

for the yaks and hippogriffs, the festivals seem to strengthen these bonds further, as they immerse themselves in each others’ lifestyles, art, music, and food.

so why was i, a pony, so needed at this place? i dont think the festival needed me. i think yona knew that i needed the festival. for a pony that has collected shells for so long, i really needed to get out of my own shell that i had created for myself. and damn, she brought those shells. even though i agreed to come, i didn’t want to bring the shells. but yona stashed the box away and i didn’t realize it. sorry, i’m just remembering that.

anyway.

once i was at the festival, i sorta strayed from wherever yona was. she was pulled away by one thing, and i was drawn to other things. for a while i felt really lonely and isolated. none of this was for me, i don’t belong here, you know? look at how much bigger all of this is than me. i’m nothing, and i’m not even all that exciting. what could i even bring to any of this, what is there for me to experience. none of this belongs to me. but i kept wandering through and seeing all these stalls and exhibits. and i heard this beautiful music, like whistling glass on an ocean breeze. i followed the sound and found myself in a concert performed by some hippogriffs. they were playing these extraordinarily beautiful instruments, i can’t even describe it. i can try to make the sound for you, if it helps. i think i can figure out how to produce something similar.

but wow. all of a sudden everything clicked.

the world is bigger than me. i’m tiny. i’m nothing. look at all of this stuff, all of this happiness and expression. it’s all bigger than me. but where i was afraid of it before, suddenly i felt peace. isn’t it cool? that the culmination of everything we are in this universe ends up bigger than ourselves. holy shit. AGH!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND THEN MY HEART STARTED RACING! i couldn’t get enough of it.

i ran up and down the aisles of the festival exhibits and everything was so beautiful. all the smells and little banners and noises and colours. everything is so beautiful. the world is so beautiful, it was overwhelming. i kept looking and smelling and seeing and hearing. isn’t everything amazing? we’re alive. we get to see all these little things that make people happy and be happy for them and feel happy in experiencing these things that make other people happy.

aren’t we so lucky? to be alive?”

## Links

* Apple Music
* Bandcamp
* YouTube
* Spotify
* TIDAL
* Genius

## Lyrics

This is it

I’m coming with my heart wide open

Take a breath

Been passing life with a lot of hoping

Taking my steps oh so carefully

I don’t belong here, in all this festivity

But I can’t help but pass a glance

Staking a claim to a one in a million chance

At the hippogriff festival

Colourful flags and fanfares

At the hippogriff festival

Smiling faces everywhere

At the hippogriff festival

Floating lanterns and lights

At the hippogriff festival

So many beautiful sights

And even when you’re drowning

You can still hear the song above the sea

You can reach it if you try