Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Cymbalism

Cymbalism

The darkness is radiant with streetlights.
The houses have their windows open,

the neighborhood is listening to itself.
A band is practicing in a basement,

their noise amplified and contained.
Bagpipes blast through a screen door,

a recording. A dog’s screechy exclamations.
A landline ringing four times, ceasing.

The band has finished. The clatter
of a cymbal against the floor, it must have

fallen, they must be packing up,
snapping shut the latches on guitar cases.

The white dog down the street bounds
out through a door held open for him,

and he charges the lawn, the bushes,
the pavement, driven by glee and gratitude

that is irrepressible. Who can he thank
next. Where should he direct all this joy.

6 comments

  1. Oh the dog has such presence in this poem! I can just see it!

    The poem also reminds me of a conert I was at where the trombone solo got a response from all the local dogs!

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  2. Magical! I remember my old lab Smokey used to always "sing" to my saxophone. Dogs clearly have a different level of hearing. That's all I can say without ruining the souffle.

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  3. I'm with the white dog! Sweet poem.

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  4. The last 3 stanzas are immaculate, or is that the right word?! :) They're like a ripe plum, perfect.

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