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"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

 

©2010, Michael Smolens