Seventy-six Trombones
seventy-six trombones in the big parade
playing the seventy-sixth part of the game
wondering how deep is the bench
how many more ready to take my place?
guess it’s all moot since strings are
all I’ve ever played, four, six, and twelve
fretted and fretless, trombones in a
sense I guess, nonetheless
circlings of Sol a trombone each
anticipating the trumpet’s blair at
the end of time, my time at least
the harmonics of my vibrating string
or the universal cacophony of the
Big Band – ‘music of the spheres’?
–LE

6 responses to “Seventy-six Trombones”
Metaphorically—and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong—your poem refers to your number of years upon this earth, and ponders what will come after the end. I read it through several times, and that’s what I took away from it. It’s a fantastic poem, Liam, what I would consider “profound”. 👏👏👏😊🧡
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Kat! You are not wrong, metaphorically. Profound? Thanks, but I’m afraid you give me too much credit. There is a bit more, though. The first line came into my head for no apparent reason. Then I considered that the lyric did correspond to my age. The rest of the poem was more or less a stream of consciousness. I just wrote as it came to me. It all came to me in about 5 minutes. After writing it down, I tried to anylized it. I suspect that it’s a comentary on my views of cosmology, corolating views from the Judeo-Christian to the Big Bang, and alchemy’s ‘music of the spheres’; hopefully pointing to the mootness of such speculations…; -)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you got your point across, Liam. 😊
And I don’t think I gave you too much credit. What I consider to be my best poems usually just pour out with very little thought or editing. The ones I think at best mediocre, usually take a while compose. You did good, my friend. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks… my best ones usually come out pretty much in their final form, too. I haven’t seen any mediocre work from you. Everything so far has been excellent!…; -)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now, you’re giving me too much credit. ☺️
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think not… 😀…; -)
LikeLike