Harpsichord

Nov 20, 2006 20:33


Harpsichord

What is that like 
They ask, 
Playing the harpsichord--
And I say it’s “tinny”
Like rain on warehouse rooftops. 
It’s metallic
Like that taste in your mouth.

(I’ve assembled musicians in a room. 
They’re all the might-have-beens,
The were-nots,
The would-have-loved-you-betters 
Who have written songs for me.

Some songs are about 
How lovely I am--

Others, 
How stubborn.

None were composed for harpsichord. 
Maybe that’s why I’ve never tried them out.

They’re looking at each other, 
Perplexed--
Not knowing what I mean
By “tinny.”)

Like metal! I say,
Like shine. Like luster. 
Cheerful. 
Like spelunking, and
Hitting your head
On something that clangs
Because your head
Is not soft either--

Tapping a ring
On the smooth countertops
Of your ears,
Over and over again.

© 2006 RLP 
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