My musical muse – Poem written to a song – NaPoWriMo Day 23

This morning I heard an amazingly wonderful piece of music shared here and I liked it so much that I hit the replay. Then I had a thought. I’ve been inspired to write poetry by paintings and I’ve listened to music while writing poetry etc. before, but I don’t recall starting a piece of music and a blank piece of paper (ok blank screen in Word), and just writing until the music stops. So, I decided to do that. Here is the result.

So I guess to do this “right” start the music (see link above), close your eyes.. oh wait, that won’t work.. ok start the music, ok, yes it will if you open them again in a few seconds. So, close your eyes and once you’ve settled into the music (take your time, it’s an 8:22 min piece and you’ll read my poem much faster than I wrote it) open them again and slowly read this poem. I’d love to hear feedback on whether this seemed to work for you or your thoughts on whether the poem matched the music etc. No right or wrong answer, if you think I butchered the music with my poem, let me know. If you could see the scene happening and thought it matched the music, let me know that as well. I did one quick pass back through this when the song ended to make very minor tweaks (spelling etc.) other than that, it’s an 8 minute 22 second poem 😀 I hope you enjoy:

NOTE: Ended up reading / recording this and have put it on SoundCloud. Here it is:

 

My musical muse

I sit, smoke drifting up through the foggy room
Sit
Waiting and wondering
Another puff
A flick of the ash, maybe two
Sit
Thinking of you

The band plays softly in the background
Waiting for their cue
Their cue is me
But I sit

Waiting, another flick
Ash drops down to the tray
I lean back as if to say

I don’t care, she’s not here
But I’m cool
Inside we both know
You’re no body’s fool

I’ve spent my time
Sipping wine and smoking cigs
Singing my heart out
For deaf ears

So now I sit
Gathering crowd can wait
‘Cause I’m not taking stage
Until you walk through that door

And there it goes
The bell rings as the door swings open
Now I can take to the stage
Now I can sing

One more drag on the cig
Push it out in the tray
Part of what makes my voice husky
or so they say

I wander over
Pick you out of the settling crowd
Slide my arm around your waist
Kiss your face and soak in your smile

These cats don’t know it
But you’re my muse
You’re the reason I can sing these blues

‘Cause I hold that feeling
When I sit on the stool
Waiting for you to get here
Scared that you won’t show

I ride that feeling baby
And when you’re late
The show explodes

So thanks for showing baby
cause now
The show will go on.

Stephen Kellogg – 2012