Vagabond Multilingual Journal Spring 2005 | Page 30

Our Beloved Vagabond: John Fizer
You must have seen him in front of Dwinelle, passionately strumming the strings of his dear old guitar, tapping his foot on the asphalt and singing his heart out to one of Bob Dylan’s songs. At times you may see him early in the morning, sitting on one of the Dwinelle benches, reading a fresh newspaper, and sipping on his favorite Peet’s coffee. It’s Berkeley’s beloved vagabond, John Fizer—a sincere, profound and poignant poet, musician and singer. He has a talent for attracting all kinds of people. His husky, trembling voice lures in the listener with its purity, its hidden truths, and its inexplicable familiarity. John gives himself entirely to his songs, granting them an earnest and remarkable wandering personality. John’s life has not been easy. It takes courage and endurance to live completely unattached: one day sleeping under the in?nite sky with its beautiful, cold and distant stars, the next being hounded by rain or cops; to live from day to day in the present without any certainties or plans for the future, to play music just to earn enough money to feed oneself through the day, to wander from town to town in search of something unknown. John has never yielded to despair, but maintains a strong spirit, a palpable kindness and a profound love for life and for people. His music mesmerizes the listener, stirring deep emotions. The hard, unsympathetic edge of today’s reality has turned many a dreamer into a jaded cynic. But somehow, in all his wanderings, John clings to the belief that Love will save the world.

Portrait of John Fizer by Hao Li, oil on canvas* *To see more of Hao’s wonderful works go to http://l1hao.100freemb.com/

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