D'une Chanson Imaginaire

Imagine you are in a recital hall.
The music is playing.
The music is not playing.
You are listening...
Not to the music.
You are listening to the hall.
The music, Trois Gnossiennes, is playing.
The music, Trois Gymnopédies, is playing.
Listen to the sound of the hall,
Not the music.
Now you hear what I hear.

interesting , Peter. The repetition sounds like there is someone particularly not good at listening!

K.Q.

oh no, Khalida, just the opposite, at least from my perspective. In this case the repetition is for emphasis on what the listener must do, that is, listen and listen carefully so carefully that you hear what is behind hearing, that you hear the background of what is played or said in the poem.


Thanks for the input, though, since you bring a perspective I could not bring to the poem itself.

amo,

Peter

bump

Peter:

A well-deserved bump. You've always had a keen eye (and ear, apparently) for looking beyond the obvious, and here you write a poem urging us to do the same. Nice.

Joe

Intuitive, surreal observation and expansion Peter. Excellent creation once
again.

tom

Thanks, Joe and Tom. Sometimes one of the poems that just gets passed over for a while seems to deserve a second look. This time it was one of my own, which is ok. I am also usually interested when someone else bumps one of their own poems so we'll take another look at it. So much goes by un-noticed,

cheers,

Peter

Yes, Peter, your poem might even be dedicated to what could otherwise go unnoticed.

And there's often so much present or potentially present behind (below/beyond) the surface, especially if metaphor is recognised, or the context reframed.

For instance, the body of your poem would take on an entirely new significance if you reframed it by changing the title to whatever is the French for 'Acoustic Technician' [I'm not suggesting you do that!]

Or if it's read as a script for a detective character like Hercule Poirot making a long-winded metaphoric point about the need to listen to the overtones in what the suspects say, in order to arrive at the truth.

And even what's absent might need to be noticed, like the famous failure of the dog to bark in the night, remarked on by Sherlock Holmes to Watson.

Or, to take a music example more akin to the subject of your poem, a conductor rehearsing the recital orchestra stopping them to ask one of the musicians "What was that silence I just heard?"

Good poem.

Ian

Thanks, Ian, for all these other productive ways to take the poem. You know, my philosophical training was in phenomenology and using the present experienced moment as a spring board to explore phenomena within their natural context. Being here, now always already exceeds any description whatsoever.

Thanks for your fruitful visit.

Peter

Hey Pete, I like it. Don't read a lot of non rhyming stuff, but usually check out what you produce. I kind of consider it going to school...

Pregunta,, should someone point out to Tom that he is posting 55% of the threads on this board? Seems like he is pushing everyone else off the bottom pretty fast. Whatever, I don't own it, and don't even come here a lot anymore, but don't seem fair to me.

Merc,

re: Tom pushing people off. I figure he's old enough to be able to know that he is doing that and that it is not fair to all those who only post once in a while. I guess, Terry, that your mentioning to me is sufficient to motivate me to say something to him. As an anarchist, I'm sure you know how much I hate being anyone else's cop or daddy or conscience, but I will take on the task.

Thanks for stopping by to read the poem.

amo,

Peter

petersz Wrote:
my philosophical training was in phenomenology and using the present experienced moment as a spring board to explore phenomena within their natural context. Being here, now always already exceeds any description whatsoever.

I loved the poem, Peter, but I also loved the sentences I've qouted.
The poem puts me in mind of Debussy, who is probably my favourite composer. So much going on in his music, with such a clear indication - to me - of what he felt.
Great poem.

Dan

My question was sincere as written. I did not say, "Hey, Pete, tell this guy to slow down" I asked if we should explain to him that he may not be the only one who would like to have a poem posted on the current page. Or should we not?
I'll do it, I'm so tactful... or is that "Tackedfull"?
He is actually pretty good, but if I wanted to read only his poems, I'd buy a book. He may be old enough to know what he's doing, or he may think he's good enough that he is all we need to read to fulfill our days. Thinking on it, maybe you or Les ought to do it. I'd probably start a ruckus.

Take care,
tlj

Ok Ok I just checked out some of your replies to Tom.

There is a side to you that I am just begining to appreciate. Very well done.

stay away from them fires, 210, them fumes can be additing.

Peter

thanx, Dan. I find some kind of music is central to almost everyone.

cheers,

Peter

might not have worked out perfectly....