Science: Seismic Sonata Poem by Margaret Alice

A seismic sonata
based on seismic data
recorded motions after an
earthquake converted to forty-five
notes matched to the earth’s amplitude
an oboe playing one note to illustrate that
the earth was perfectly still – against background
noises; a piano playing three-second intervals, the oboe
then overlaid the piano – described as looking at a
diamond with the naked eye; as well as a
jeweller’s lens at the same time; the
listener experiencing wave motion
over time, hearing the complexity
of earth’s movements in a
fascinating, cascading
sound!