Classical Serenades
(1)
(1)
color my existence in lithe Lovespeaks,
color my existence in lithe Lovespeaks,
syncopated melodies of harmonic Romances
syncopated melodies of harmonic Romances
set in Viennese waltz time,
set in Viennese waltz time,
photo-collage dreams
photo-collage dreams
like when a telephone rings and no one answers
like when a telephone rings and no one answers
they are singing in the shower,
they are singing in the shower,
and underneath the Raxalpe Mountains,
and underneath the Raxalpe Mountains,
Winds stay busy composing anonymous Classics-
Winds stay busy composing anonymous Classics-
yes, Schubert beheld Music that way,
yes, Schubert beheld Music that way,
how a Man startles his Lover
how a Man startles his Lover
in Serenade
in Serenade
(2)
(2)
River Salzach rains on young Mozart
River Salzach rains on young Mozart
composing in sawdust Salzburg studios,
composing in sawdust Salzburg studios,
restless with moist crayon fingers
restless with moist crayon fingers
sometimes dreaming of his watercolor Siamese cat
sometimes dreaming of his watercolor Siamese cat
hidden upstairs,
hidden upstairs,
as his charcoal melody inevitably meshes on
as his charcoal melody inevitably meshes on
nurturing little girls
nurturing little girls
laughing in sandbox playgrounds and wildflower doll parks,
laughing in sandbox playgrounds and wildflower doll parks,
nourishing them from this, his new mixture of
nourishing them from this, his new mixture of
classical overture,
classical overture,
a tender blend of stepping Turkish Gypsy maids
a tender blend of stepping Turkish Gypsy maids
dressed in rainbow shawls
dressed in rainbow shawls
blowing the setting sun
blowing the setting sun
virgin red kisses
virgin red kisses
while Mozart, gazes out from his Prussian sun parlor,
while Mozart, gazes out from his Prussian sun parlor,
and waves back to the melodious dancers below
and waves back to the melodious dancers below
(3)
(3)
Beethoven's voice floats out beyond the orchard,
Beethoven's voice floats out beyond the orchard,
a Sunday afternoon frothy sauce,
a Sunday afternoon frothy sauce,
bagpipe ensemble,
bagpipe ensemble,
forever working toward the bass mentality
forever working toward the bass mentality
while birthing another idea,
while birthing another idea,
and the well-watered plants
and the well-watered plants
surrounding his dear Eroica,
surrounding his dear Eroica,
bending into exact bold harmonies
bending into exact bold harmonies
composed in melodramatic chords
composed in melodramatic chords
germinated beneath Romantic trolley tracks,
germinated beneath Romantic trolley tracks,
eventually aging in tranquilly
eventually aging in tranquilly
thru waves of mysterious silence,
thru waves of mysterious silence,
as his cosmic drama unfolds,
as his cosmic drama unfolds,
and as Haydn and Goethe keep time
and as Haydn and Goethe keep time
tapping on ivory piano benches drinking Bavarian beer,
tapping on ivory piano benches drinking Bavarian beer,
and at last they too melt away like the cigarette ash
and at last they too melt away like the cigarette ash
frozen inside their half empty
frozen inside their half empty
unfinished manuscripts
unfinished manuscripts
(4)
(4)
and Chopin’s waltz gently lifts the ground,
and Chopin’s waltz gently lifts the ground,
Mazurka's nocturnal sounds surrounding the evening sky
Mazurka's nocturnal sounds surrounding the evening sky
tuned to our lives,
tuned to our lives,
beckoning our days,
beckoning our days,
drops of grateful Warsaw rain
drops of grateful Warsaw rain
dueting with each musical step,
dueting with each musical step,
rich notes harmonizing
rich notes harmonizing
eclipsing the butterfly in flight
eclipsing the butterfly in flight
as dancers fall motionless to the ground
as dancers fall motionless to the ground
nowhere in particular to go,
nowhere in particular to go,
and old men in grey suspenders consider each refrain,
and old men in grey suspenders consider each refrain,
imagining it might be their own melody
imagining it might be their own melody
dreamt of long-ago,
dreamt of long-ago,
perfumed treasures
perfumed treasures
lifted all the way to the heavens,
lifted all the way to the heavens,
only visible from some once-thirsty
only visible from some once-thirsty
and now-quenched fantasia star
and now-quenched fantasia star
(5)
(5)
and so my Love,
and so my Love,
I too sit here dreaming
I too sit here dreaming
upstairs in my Satori room,
upstairs in my Satori room,
pencil sharpened and mind tuned,
pencil sharpened and mind tuned,
some wordsmith messenger
some wordsmith messenger
oiling his butterfly net,
oiling his butterfly net,
hoping to catch our next supper
hoping to catch our next supper
Paterson, 1981