Too much art can ruin a guy
Make a guy think that scales and well-crafted phrases matter
More than the well-being of people, more than wishing well
For those whose lives we touch, for yourself
Then, when someone’s father needs to be put in extended-care,
Or your car breaks, your world collapses
You won’t know how to deal
How to care
Religion puts it all in perspective
Gives your soul strength of life you need to get by
I preached today; I’m alright with the world
The rear axel on my car sounds like it will probably break soon
It could be the differential; maybe only shocks—I’m not a mechanic
Either way I won’t be able to fix it
I emerge out from my protected home life
I’m listening to club music I don’t particularly like
Because it’s the young barkeep’s style and it makes her happy
The whole idea of it all is cute, and
I’ve heard enough Jethro Tull in my day,
Sympathy for the Devil over 50 years
The music morphs
It’s anemic, vapid pop and
I sadly reflect that it may reflect her generation
You hope not, wish that you had Whitman’s gift of optimism
Too much art can ruin a guy
I was in church, today, and I’m alright with the world
TOO MUCH ART
16 Aug 2021 Leave a comment
in Blog Tags: art, church, Jethro Tull, music, phrases, poem, poetry, religion, scales, Sympathy for the Devil
SCALES
05 Aug 2021 Leave a comment
in Blog Tags: complacency, contentment, flaws, love, modes, music, poem, poetry, Santana, scales, self-worth, worth
I will be at scales, tonight
Despite my flaws, Carol accepts me as perfect for her
She is perfect for me, our world is perfect
As perfect as can be this side of eternity
But the world isn’t Carol
My world can’t be only Carol, can’t be only our world
The world doesn’t care about me as does Carol—why would it?
There are 24 key signatures, all with their scales
48, if you count pentatonic scales, then there are 7 modes in every key
Though, to me, the modes are another matter
This all is expected of me, of every musician; I expect it of me
If I’m not careful, I’ll rest content in Carol’s valuation of my worth
Rest in the perfect world our own, in our care for each other
Carol doesn’t care about scales—why would she?
Though she is my whole world, we are the whole world to each other
The world is not Carol
If I’m going to solo in Santana, I had better be sure in my scales
Then, eternity is more than scales
And the man playing the scales is as the music in eternity
Time was, that man was all that mattered to me
But the world is not eternity
Even if I think I’ll find eternity planted in the world, through the world
It isn’t either-or, the world and eternity
It’s good to plant my feet on the ground, even if the ground be art
Carol likes it when I play a song for her
To Play Like Darryl
24 Aug 2017 Leave a comment
in Blog Tags: keyboard, music, poetry, scales
“It’s fun,” Darryl said.
He was playing pentatonic scales in every key.
Up and down the keyboard.
That’s what it takes to be able to play like Darryl.
Playing pentatonic scales in every key.
And it’s fun.
David Fekete 