Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Discarded Symphony



MAGPIE TALES

DISCARDED SYMPHONY

The ball of screwed-up paper was lying at my feet.
Something made me notice it as I walked along the street.
And so I bent and picked it up, to take a closer look.
Was it a page, torn in a rage, from some rejected book?
I spread it out, expecting some paragraphs or quotes,
And I saw them, marching across the page, a parade of musical notes.
The paper had been mutilated, crushed again and again,
As though by someone suffering immeasurable pain.
This was no casual cast-off, no idly rejected page;
I saw in my hand the evidence of disappointed rage.
And I visualised the musician, waking up in bed,
Hearing a glorious symphony circling in his head.
*
'Eureka!' he cried. 'I've got it! I've waited, oh, so long!
I'd have been content with a a party-piece, a jingle, a little song!
But here's a fully-fledged symphony, circling in my head!
I must rise at once and write it down before inspiration's fled!
I can hear it all! The clarinets, the violins, the basses!
I can see them all, the musicians, expectant in their places!
I shall be lauded, far and wide, like Beethoven or Liszt!
This will be a symphony that no-one can resist!'
*
He would have scrambled to his desk then, a pen in his eager hand,
Still hearing the glorious music, so magnificently grand!
But the music inside his head grew faint as he laboured with his pen.
After one page it died away, never to return again.
As all dreams fade in the morning, so faded his symphony.
So faded his life's ambition; so faded his destiny.
And the paper was screwed in a frenzied ball and out of the window thrown.
He had lost the most glorious symphony the world had ever known!
*
I continued on my morning walk, forgetting my useless find,
When, suddenly, a wonderful symphony
Started playing in my mind...............!
*
------------------------------------------------------------------------


HEY! MONET!

'Pose by that haystack!' I said to him, in my normal bossy tone!
Even as I said it, I sensed it was a clone.
It reminded me of one of Monet's many painted scenes,
Where the golden haystack stands amid the country's brilliant greens.
After I'd got my picture I peered at the board to the right.
Our haystack looked like a Monet! Yes! Well so it might!
An advertisement for a gallery, that's what we'd chanced upon.
When we returned days later the edifice had gone!
*

23 comments:

Deborah said...

As always, just so wonderful to read and PERFECTLY done ... I loved them both!

Kristen Haskell said...

Someone's trash is definitely someone else's treasure. Why oh why must we be so hard on ourselves?

Laura said...

Ok, this is the second musically inspired writing I have found today...the other was not a magpie tale...and my poem is also about music....hmmmmm. curious universe.

Chrissy said...

I loved this! What imaginations provoked by a paper dream tossed upon the wind!

Kay L. Davies said...

Fabulous, both of them, Brenda. The first so sad, been there and done that with brilliant midnight ideas, but the second gave me a laugh.
-- K

Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

Janice said...

How hard it can be to get what's in our heads down on paper...whether its a symphony, a poem, or a painting.

Uma Anandane said...

Imaginative and lovely!loved them both

Sioux said...

What a clever and imaginative take on the photo. Well done!

ZephyrInk said...

Both poems are very nice, but I really love the second one - I found it very amusing.

Brian Miller said...

that first one was a delight to read...what a story teller...nice one shot

Teresa said...

Great poetry as usual. I just love your lost symphony. I can almost hear it myself.

Tess Kincaid said...

Wonderfully told Magpie tale!

CHummelKornell said...

Wonderfully done. I loved the rhythm of this piece but it's the final line that really gets me...'and the beat goes on!'

Helen said...

The music in our minds ... may it never fade.

Kathe W. said...

Loved your duet!

Tumblewords: said...

Some music is destined to remain in the head, maybe. Haystacks, too, maybe! These are both wonderful reads.

Jinksy said...

Imagine what it was like before writing music down was invented- memories would have worked overtime!

chiccoreal said...

Dear Brenda: Very impressive poem...too bad the symphony was thrown out; the conductor being undoubtedly too critical! Good to hear you carry the tune without need of notation!Love your knowledge of music! Love the haystack poem, very funny! The edifice just "disappeared"...the photo is priceless! I love your keen sense of humour!

Kavita said...

Whheewww!! That was quite a story, Brenda! And in certain ways, I can relate to it myself (minus the feeling dejected part :))
Oftentimes, while in the shower, I get some EUREKA-ish idea for a poem... but by the time I step out, the 'oomph' of the idea has almost faded.. So now I carry my writing pad AND iphone to the shower! heheheh

LOVED your poem, my dear... too close to home!

Shashidhar Sharma said...

Dear Brenda...

I enjoyed this one so much... thanks for sharing...


ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com
Twitter @VerseEveryDay

* said...

Loved the symphony tale, oh, how I can relate (swirling ideas, but once sitting down, how they pale upon the page).

Doctor FTSE said...

Enjoyed your accomplished rhymes, as usual.
Mozart claimed he "wrote" like that . . compositions appearing fully formed in his head. Whereas Beethoven said "I let the thoughts and feelings swirl around until they start turning into notes."

Unknown said...

Ahh this strikes so many familiar notes, symphonies of the mind...I enjoyed this very much