Wednesday 18 November 2009

If Music be the Food of Love...........

.......make mine a simple song.
I'd like it sung Andante,
with pauses; not too long
or I'll get tired of listening
before the singer's done.

There was a day when harmony
could be atonal, or
when crashing chords,
cacophony,
would thrill me to the core.
In double f, fortissimo
my senses they would soar.

But now I like a gentle tune
in simple harmony,
that ends in perfect cadences
and leaves my senses free.
Adagio Cantabile
would be my earnest plea.
If it's also pianissimo
it's the perfect song for me.

"If music be the food of love" is the topic for our writing this next month in our Writers' Group.
Very hard to know how to tackle it, to be honest. This is my first effort. More may follow.

22 comments:

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

Dear Weaver Of Grass, your poems, this latest in particular, perspire joy with their so spontaneous rhymes. And you are absolutely the best, among the blogs I log on to, for photos. These cows on the countryside skyline are marvellous.

Sorry if I don't put in my blog the one I referred to in my latest post but I try to respect some rule and let the "First Time Rights" to the magazine.
But I won't forget to put it immediately in the blog after it's published.

Anonymous said...

That's wonderful Weaver!!!

Gwil W said...

Well done, this kind of thing wins cash prizes up to one hundred pounds as you probably know. You might consider e-mailing it www.jbwb.co.uk - I think it's three pounds for one poem. I stopped entering only because it got too silly - just to keep winning.
jbwb don't have any not published elsewhere etc. rules and such limitations.

Dominic Rivron said...

OK. I tried to compose a fourth verse (the voice of youth, perhaps):

But what would be left out
if it never got to loud
and all music was was simple tunes
designed to please the crowd?
The food of love, like love itself,
should challenge and excite
and if it don't then sadly,
it's hardly worth a bite.

Yes the grammar is wrong in the penultimate line, but if Hopkins can say I have desired to go where springs not fail, I can say don't. The last line was originally different, but I thought I'd preserve decorum :)

Anonymous said...

Lovely and clever poem.

Pom Pom said...

I'm a newbie here, but I saw this post and I had to tell you about this cool writing project I did with my eighth graders. We call it The Soundtrack of My Life. They find five or so songs that they connect to and then they write about the songs, featuring the way the songs speak to them and they also make a cool CD case. I loved reading their work. It brought forth so much self discovery.

Heather said...

I like your first effort very much Weaver and echo it's sentiments.

Jeannette StG said...

This poem is great - you did a beautiful job! Sounds very spontaneous:)

steven said...

hello weaver - i'm almost there. i love music because it comes from love. i'm convinced of that. but dissonance that used to thrill me to the core (sound familiar - no pun intended!) doesn't quite cut it any more. i love simplicty and beauty. have a lovely evening in the dale. steven

Raph G. Neckmann said...

Oh I like this, Weaver! My sentiments too most of the time, though I do like my rocky ZZ Top favourites!

I like Dominic Rivron's verse too!

Dinesh chandra said...

Nice poetry .

God bless you.

Regards

Dinesh Chandra

Hildred said...

I think this says it all Weaver, as far as the music one favours in the latter years. And you have expressed it so rhythmically. I'm with you all the way, cantabile, pianissimo, andante.

Our bell choir is doing a very quiet and tender rendition of 'What Child is This' for Christmas concerts and services.

(We are also doing some fff in 'Joy to the World'!!!

Cloudia said...

I love the simply adressed truths explored in your gem of a little piece. Keep going! (or consider it worthy - it is)



Aloha, Friend!


Comfort Spiral

Crafty Green Poet said...

very beautiful...

Jinksy said...

What fun! And I loved the verse added by Dominic Rivron, too...

Unknown said...

Hello Weaver,

This is great! I'd rest on my laurels now, but that's just me! Dominic's extra verse is also great fun. It obviously runs in the family!

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

I'm with you Weaver - simple, melodic, pure, true. I love your way with words.

Pondside said...

Ah, WEaver, what a lovely way to start my day. I too like a gentle tune, simple harmony and to have my senses left free to experience the music in whatever way I like!

Tess Kincaid said...

Interesting how our older and wiser selves learn to appreciate the simple. pp sounds pretty good to me, too!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for the comments - yes I shall make this poem my entry for writers now that you have all given it the green light. I like Dom's extra verse and am pleased to see that I have at least instilled in him a modicum of decorum!

BT said...

Oh I just love that poem, being of musical descent. I still love the fortissimo of opera but can appreciate a bit of pianissimo now and then!

BT said...

I love Dominic's last verse by the way. I think I can guess the gist of the original last line!