upon waking
no upon the waking
this waking neither first nor last
cold floor
a warm bulb shivers
the alley cat
still feral
counting its own lives
already half made of sound
arriving before it arrives
casts what your february
in its orange persistence
cast before
the hour of the lamp
is standing without you
one thought
and the thought that will not come
something there
has sunk its canines into
the syllables
your syllables
syllabub curdled
frothing
the syllabus
your mother birthed you with
wet and new
red-ink margins
not rehearsing them
no never rehearsing
conducting them slowly
as an orchestra pit must
when all the musicians have gone home
dry and gone
and no one answers the downbeat
and no one
and no one
two three four
the downbeat has no one left to strike
you lift your hand
the cat walks out of the sound it made
already elsewhere
leaving where it will return
leaving before it has left
the orchestra pit
elegant black tuxedos
music from the gods
Fantastical notes of gloom filled the orchestra pit
Who was playing? No one was here. Except Paul.
He felt spooked after searching for the source.
A gremlin band, a ghost trio, a zombie orchestra?
The music was deliberate, harsh, off beat, nonharmonic
The hair on the back of Paul’s neck rose almost an inch
He felt threatened, for he knew he was alone here.
Or was he?
The breeze brushes my face,
The flowers flutter, petals like lace,
The towering trees have a soft slumber,
The shrubs multiply leaves to an infinity number,
Ivy twirls, rocks, then sits,
Gazing down at the violets in their small orchestra pit.
An ornate hammock swings and creaks,
Butterflies fly to cheer up trees that weep.
I think to myself,
It's a lovely day.
twig orchestra pit
ruby vested maestra waving at
blue gems and woodwinds
5/6/20
Bolero builds in intensity,
the interplay of instruments
crescendoing; soft to loud.
Ravel’s music haunting my dreams
Chimera of swells crashing, Everest
ever-reaching for God’s palm.
The texture of a piece of art —
layer upon layer of a singular sunset.
A flute of tangerine, clarinet - cluster of grapes,
strawberry-bassoon, then the e-flat clarinet.
Add the solo oboe d’amore — life and love
from Eden ‘til now, the delightful garden
vaingloriously springs up trumpets of red.
Ravel’s music haunting my dreams.
Chimera of swells crashing, Everest
ever-reaching for God’s palm.
Shall I name them all one by one?
The crescendoing, the crashing,
each lovely creature has a name
and the symphony soars; we see them
climb up the stairs, into the stars.
One thinks Ravel’s still playing,
adding in the orchestra pit clouds,
for we must know there is
an ever burgeoning stand of instruments.
Ravel’s music haunting my dreams
Chimera of swells crashing, Everest
ever-reaching for God’s palm.
1/20/2020
DENOUEMENT
No one had stuck to the script.
Improvisation had become the necessity
of constantly changing sets.
The orchestra pit, gaping maw
of failure, waiting to devour
tongue tied practiced lines,
reverberating costumed fears
masquerading as “stage” presence,
applauded by long vacant stares.
Passion, lost amid lust,
love, tainted by doubt,
time’s creaky stage
counting cadence
of faltering steps
hesitation.
Echoed shadows
family, friends,
supporting cast
last act, last scene, last bow,
flowers wilting
final curtain call.
8/13/2016
submitted to – Denouement – Poetry Contest
sponsor – Nayda Ivette Negron
Shadows form a discreet curtain shrouding love's address
Entering the hypnotic stage, stardust caress
Refracting moonbeams sweep balcony focusing spotlight on gleaming tress
Endeared minstrel plucks heart strings wooing his princess
Nightingale perches in love's apron unbridled passion to express
A romantic balad with blithe melody, congruent harmony; decorum to dress
Dancing to the orchestra, striking a subordinate note; fealty to impress
Enthralled audience captivated by the last, ingratiating bow of courtliness
Medieval Stage vocabulary
apron: a stage that projects out into the audience area.
orchestra: orchestra pit is a lowered area between the stage and the audience.
An allegory, comparing theatrical play to wooing troubador.
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