Music

by Allen Taylor

Music was written in July 2005 while stationed in Iraq. It was accepted for publication and subsequently appeared in the pages of Small Brushes, a small press publication published by Adept Press, in Spring 2006.

When Satchmo played
In the early days
Of a time that’s lost its youth
The rhythm of
Our God above
Shone bright as a golden tooth 
The harpsichords
And ivory boards
In heart’s harmony did play 
With the six-stringed lass
The brazen brass
And a chorus from Calais 
‘Tis sweet the Muse
Who lights the fuse
Of a melody made from tears 
And on that note
I’d like to quote
A man wise beyond his years 
“Most folks go
Where nothing grows
With the music still inside 
They never change
Or extend the range
And their song in silence hide” 
When Elvis played
In halcyon days
When refrains had lost their jazz 
We did the twist
Held stiff our wrists
And danced like a razzmatazz