Doeadeera
…female deer
What do you sing?
What tune’s your prize
when time is right
to vocalize?
For me, it’s tea
and needle’s thread
and bread and jam —
old letters read.
Classic movies
on cathode ray
let the music
run a long way.
To history
you’ll add your rhyme —
your music and
your pantomime.
NOTE: While singing in the kitchen and brewing a cup of hibiscus tea, it occurred to me that I’d rather be infected with memorization of all the lyrics to every song in the movie “The Sound of Music” than words of critics…so, farewell…so long.
This poem and note honors my friend Renée Morgan Brooks (www.portraitsinfaith.org/renee-morgan-brooks/), a singer whose angelic, resonant voice is a piece of my musical memory and who supports my appreciation for music. My singing voice is neither rich nor resonant, and when I mentioned this ‘defect’ to her, she said, “Just borrow my voice,” as if I could play in that kind of magic. Well, I’ve since discovered that yes, it is possible to play in the I’m-Magic-Nation!
