Poem ‘Harmonium’
by fb
Harmonium
You cut the harmonium strings
and I’ll tie them up each time,
pedals getting higher and higher
till almost vertical, unplayable.
And for what?
Does it spoil your peace?
Do my attempts at sounds,
at music, offend you so?
This family doesn’t do talent, I know.
There is only work.
But you needn’t have worried:
When I came down today
there was this space, gaping,
and through the kitchen window
I saw the fire in the yard,
the contented man, smoking
© copyright df barker 2012
ugh man…that kills that they burned the harmonium…ugh…and you know i hope that hurdle make him work all the harder…a real lmusician will def over come the obstacles….nice one….
I’ve been left alone in my back yard with notebook and pen and those strange eyes looking thru the window just shaking their heads…this leads my mind to wander down more than one path, with more than one song as soundtrack. Wonderful!
heck…this is a fantastic david…the cutting and tying up…the frustration and questions..felt write with a great closure picture
Tash, thank you so much! Take care.
Thank you so much for your comments, Brian, I’m grateful.
Thank you so much Claudia! I’m grateful to you.
Really poignant and enjoyable, thanks.
Hi,
A bit sad that the music was not appreciated.
this family doesn’t do talent, love this
so was he smoking as in cigars and cigarettes or was he burning like Joan of Arc, or was he smoking, like “smokin’ hot music, dude!!”?
tenaciously as conundrum
Good poem, nice sense of irony,rhythm, and powerful image to end the poem
This makes me sad. Very powerful.
Every line punctuates with emotion and story.
Hi David
Although I find it a great poem, I also think this is very sad … Burning a harmonium?? Awful!
Thank you very much!!!
Thank you so much Ina.
Oceangirl – thank you so much!
Thank you so much – I appreciate it!
Thank you very much!
Just… smoking’! 
Thank you Christine!
Thank you Mags!
Thank you very much Vanessa!
I love how this is written, with your always and ever talent but it is sad.:)
Christine
Thank you very much Christine!
David, like others have said, a sad poem – but so brilliantly written! Powerful, last lines, as it sinks in what happened.
)
(This reminds me of my first husband, decades ago, who couldn’t stand listening to me play classical music on the piano downstairs, so upstairs he’d turn the stereo up high. Ha!! I wasn’t that good, but neither was his heavy metal rock music.
Thank you for sharing this!
Suffocating ….what an agony to have that one thing you like the most to be hated so much….
Thank you Soma! I do appreciate it – I will be taking a break from blogging for a while now but I will be sure to catch up on your lovely posts when I get back!
Thank you very much Betty! We do suffer for our art, don’t we? I will be taking a break from blogging for a while now, but I will make sure to see what you’ve been doing when I get back. Thank you!
Gave me shivers…felt like the dismembering and burning of a person…a musical instrument can have such a connecting life to a person. Very powerful, David!
Thank you so much!
Really enjoyed this David! The smoking man is definitely an image that sticks… I wonder what he’s thinking?
The questions make this so compact and forceful. Well done!
It’s too bad music isn’t appreciated, but your words are very powerful and honest; wonderfully written, David, and I apologize for my absence. I’m really behind, but will always be back to read your work! Still reading…
Such a great way to establish a compromise in the kitchen. I love “this family doesn’t do talent.” —perfect