"The Great Listening" Suite
I. I Remember Each Note Of Each Performance
I remember each note, of each performance.
Foolishly, I try to preserve only the sublime and heroic,
and shed the banal and embarrassing.
But to no avail—
I know that each performance is stored,
somewhere.
"Just where is it stored?" you ask.
It's not immediately evident, like refurbished pec's—
in my ear, my restored wrists, my heart ?
in my bank balance, my resume, my long-term goals?
maybe in my eros, my unborn kids, my karmic debt?
"And where does this happen?" you wonder.
I've spread the tablecloth in the oddest of places—
a gym
a yacht
at 'naked sushi'
"Why does it happen?" you ponder.
For every possible reason—
to privately serenade a wife for an anniversary
to publicly conquer the most challenging music
in concert
to secretly lubricate a room for fundraising
I remember each note, of each performance,
Sometimes.
(dedicated to drummer Russ Gold, March 2008)

II. The Great Listening
III. The Dancer And The Watchmaker
"Figs Broken Open"
Do we not seek out the figs that have been broken open,
revealing their sweetness?
When we add salt do we not expect the rice to cook
a bit sweeter?
Are we not captivated by images of sanctuary amidst
the chaos of human affairs?
Is it not the pain that surrounds the beauty that calls out
the farthest and
the deepest?
Answer all this and you will see why
Spirit rarely allows
for anything approaching perfect symmetry...
(December 2007)

"Duty and the Two Candles"
Finally, after all the singing, all the dancing
and drumming,
and all the pleading with the Deities,
it was time to return to the Everyday.
One by one, she took down the four altars,
satisfied with their ability to absorb the mysterious
along with the mundane.
She couldn't help but admire the last two candles
with their majestic height and virgin white color
encased in glass.
Though they looked identical
she noticed how one candle was silent,
while the other one shook freely.
Puzzled, she drew each to her ear
to try to uncover their mystery.
"I Know What Is Expected Of Me"
one candle said stoically,
while the other candle whispered,
"i always leave room for the Divine."
(August 2007)

"The
Cool Breeze"