The Last Organ Grinder

He can turn the crank, to tunes of happy song, One that his crowd has cherished for long, But something has so terribly gone wrong For someone has declared: you don’t belong, O, you don’t belong; no, you do not belong, As organ music on streets is forever banned Dismantling livelihood, so long he planned. So today he turns the crank to words forlorn As emotions torn, in wistful rhythms mourn, This miserable morning of a beauteous day, Oh, the heavens know why the sky is gray, And the organ blares missives that betray: Nothing can unsay ~today is that final day. They watch him grooving as if in festive dance Feigning happiness, hiding dolorous glance, Decrying audacity of fate, eerily gone awry, As he accepts reality, uttering a silent sigh, Watching the crowd clap, as spirits amplify His reason for being, reluctant to bid goodbye. From street to street, he will endeavor to go Visiting every place familiar, despite angst of woe, For one last act of songs and music they know, Collect what he can, past goodwill will bestow; Turning the crank, to tunes of happy song, One that his crowd has cherished for long, Though something has so terribly gone wrong For someone has declared: you don’t belong, O, you don’t belong; no, you do not belong.