for Philip King
After a few false starts, the harmonica player
picks up a bluesy melody or slow air,
a cracked tune or one that was lost
and found, borrowed and returned
but never a burden to the one who carries it.
Maybe Bless the Weather or Sweet Little
Mystery or something more traditional
from a place that never runs out of rhythms
in the hills of Clare or Mississippi.
And blessed are the song-makers -
first the forgotten ones who sing no more
and now the troubadours of a new century chorus.
Theirs are the melodies that wander the earth,
from festival to festival
in those gardens where thousands pitch their tents.
Or that bit of a tune left in the air
when bow and fiddle are laid to rest
and the singer sits down, dry mouthed.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Beautiful writing. You're very talented. Good work, very realistic description. Thanks for sharing.