Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Today's poem - "Chaos in the Brass Section"

 

Chaos in the Brass Section

 

M. Comartin grimaces from the side of his mouth

The string scherzo ends at just the wrong moment

(stifled giggles ripple up and down the rows)

-he gestures a bit stiffly, turning a shade of green

 

I note a slight drag distressing the second movement

causing the conductor’s eyebrow to elevate

I see this as if a drawing, a police artist’s sketch

My embouchure starts to degrade, my lips rubberize

 

Faithful season subscribers shift in their plush seats

Hm, I think, this score sure looks blurry

Now the woodwinds go sour and slightly out of time

Well, I might as well improvise – this won’t sound bad

 

The Maestro looks distressed, twitches, grits his teeth

The other brasses sputter and splay erratically

Catcalls from the balcony and grumbles rumble throughout

I start to freewheel emote, chasing the woodwinds

 

My mind wanders to a funny un-funny middle school concert

     Now I think: Where the heck was I? I’ll drop in HERE!

But something is out of whack, we’re in different modes

-I’m looking forward to that after party at Jeannette’s

 

Pursuing the wayward strings, we blunder into novel spaces

Haphazardly it segues into a long, droning crescendo

It’s FUBAR: the audience is yelling and throwing things

Suddenly I’m in a full-tilt white tie riot- What a feeling!

 

Inferno Red Faced, M. Comartin issues steam jets from his ears

     The orchestra is bolting prematurely, not taking bows

Eyes like wild horses, my fellow artists are fleeing in panic

Patrons, clutching jewels and canes, rush the shocked stage

 

I shout, The greatest season finale in company history!

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