Listening to Mozart

As it is national poetry day in the UK here is a poem of mine. Oops! Poetry day isn’t until October, I’m jumping the gun!  Anyway my confusion made me post so all’s well and good.

Amadeus Mozart is the quintessential prodigy-genius. Along with Beethoven and JS Bach, he is regarded as among the greatest composers of all time. When he was on his death bed Mozart had the score of his last Requiem at hand. In fact there is a painting showing assembled friends and family round his bed singing the Requiem! He was 35 when he died on 5 Dec 1791; the exact location of his burial is unknown.

Listening to Mozart

I place the CD in its tray   press play      and settle down

to listen       my mind wanders off-key                wonders

about greatness                        and perfect sonata form

how to value time spent here                             soon

otherworldly strains startle me into the sufficient      Now

but soon      too soon cat’s paws claw at the window pane

now I fall out of the moment’s grasp       wonder if his cat

scratched at windows too. . .

on and on the wandering goes                an hour or more

since I passed                              a dead cat on the street

now I measure deaths of great and small          remember

his death-breath whispered      drumbeat of his last score

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