Monday, June 20, 2005

Tarnished Ivory

I have all of my keys, though I am out of tune.
Played so many times, the pounding fresh felt.
My luster long gone, scratches etched into my fiber.
Any song I have left strains hollow.

I stand alone, now dust my companion.

My voice once as thunder, a tempest of notes.
The stories I told, determined emotion.
Part of a team, flesh and ivory as one.
Those hands held the key.

I was once touched in love.

No more.

My companion,
now dust.

I stand alone.

-J.G.Smith (06/20/05)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You keep improving (in my opinion ;-) in terms of your handling of lines. And the title is really good.

Suggestions (which you will undoubtedly disregard . . . )
"I have all my keys, though out of tune" (I'd skip "of" and "I am")
"lustre long gone, scratches etched into" or etched scratches and then just leave out "my fibre."

I really like: "My voice once as thunder, a tempest of notes" but I might just give some breathing room between voice and once.

And you don't need "once" in "I was once touched in love"

Anyway, my point is . . . this poem is actually showing your increased awareness of how to construct a good line.