Juxtaposed Etudes

I always wanted to write a series of poems relating to music but with different themes and colours. I finally got around to it, and here are some bits of it. It's not complete yet, and I don't think it will be for quite some time. I colored the first one previously, because I thought it appropriate, but it looked lame, so I edited. Besides, I think you can figure out the imageries by yourselves (and it's more fun that way). Enjoy. Or not.



agitato.
a torrent.
scarlet waves begin the ritual dance.
a musician's torn heart,
later deserted in shards of red and blue.
hail consumes the spares,
and sweeps the remains of what is to be extinct.
for what is in a blessing?
oh Glory, thou name be now buried
ever in exchange for this dear sacrifice.



spiritoso.
blowing trumpet shells is a girl
a white piano on the ocean
billows break on its slim frame,
creating white shards of sun in the blue.
beauty captivates her and
the virgin samples the rain and the ocean on ivory.



narrante.
white china tells a tale.
some several millenia ago...

boo-boo-boo-boom, crash... boo-boom, crash...
thunder plays the final symphony.
under the sky, a potter
an ethereal piece of clay,
in every mold the breath of Korea.
graceful clouds curves the heavens.
cranes sail along them as one life passes away.
the artist's work perfected in blood and sleepless nights
in final touch, polished with blue love lost
a moonless night,
yet the moonshine lingers on cold ceramics.
he puts in the last supply of dead logs with final strength.
boo-boo-boo-boom!
sky gives one last defeaning blast
the rain stops,
and alongside the furnace a life.



delicatamente.
masquerade act un
sneaked restless pink across the lips.
skirt kept short; heels held high.
smokefull behind the closed doors --
toilet top will do for a fitting room tonight.
she enters the night life scene.

masquerade act deux
first act folded away in a paper bag.
Barbie Doll actress returns;
presently a figure of a Daddy's girl.



presto capriccioso.
Devil whispers
thy duty be to thy heart
thy chance returns not
indulge the wine, the cure
let rollercoaster be your guidance
nevermind the consequences
whatever they may do to us
and our beloved ones.
praise vanity and eat cake.
it's what cool kids do.



espressivo.
one year later.
a true cure for nostalgia
and a false alarm --
the return.
ironic realization and silent pain await me.
same people, same places
same hour and no hindsight bias
yet a town with a different hue.
searched for my love among the crowd
the heart itself is lost in space and memory.
too unerasable, too unbreakable.
a name engraved on a rock by a first-rate sculptor.
letters sweet and utterance bitter.
oh, the gentle touch of his song
it throbs and I know not why.
being the fool, I cry, "Encore!"



libero
good morning!
awaken to bluebirds' dawn serenades,
she rubs her eyes off of sleepiness.
another cheerful hello to the world --
golden threads hang about the window.
she colors herself with the morning dew
and drinks the summer's health.
light laces dance about the neckline
and wind joins in the waltz.
she whistles one, two, three
and dreams of love.



allegro doloroso
piano prodigy of only six
Rachmaninoff in impeccable timing.
broken chords and heart
Campanella and no mistakes.
darling meals devoid of love
inescapable elegance and no smiles.
the fingers come to a still
and the artist is joyless.



nobile maestoso.
war.
sweats and bloods and prides
perfected in the tradition of a grand opera.
clang of metal and enemy falling
and following, tenor's victory aria.
army of chorus responds in good cheer
and marches in common time
Glory is its finale.



fresco.
hot spicy chicken
warm aroma rises,
touches the hungry nose
side dishes paint the white rice
with inimitable colors
fish and clam mixed with sea veggies
different chords in every dish
together comprise the master soup
harmony awes the audience.



risoluto.
tears fallen from Polaris
each bow stroke perfectly in tune,
concertmistress paints the corners of her violin
with brown minor keys and haunting odes.
transfixed in a haven of majestic chords,
winter fades into spring in the final encore.
I gasp,
wishing for a chill in the air to still my beating heart.



finale.
juxtaposed speech and a perfectionist
harmony found in dissonance
liberating chords yet so suffocating
beauty found in monsoon
impressed audience
and newfound mediocrity.