TIME FOR MUSIC
‘something to show you’ said pa
opening a flattish cardboard box
extracting a silver letter m
with curved feet roughly five by two
pulling the right leg forward
he formed a tripod
the third leg topped by
a scooped ellipse
‘ah’ said pa
lifting a long letter l from the box
with a c underneath
a c with a howler monkey’s tail
an l with gradations
and tapering weight
with two metal pins
like fangs
sticking out from its base
‘from beethoven’s time –
beauty, isn’t she?’
she was, pa, she was –
a silent metronome! –
and perfect for you
pa the cautious
who’d ticktock his notes
looking for music held within them
instead of between them,
for time’s displacement
its dislocation
where laws can be broken
and freedom gained
pa kept his beauty highly polished
the gentle sway of the monkey’s tail
left in its wake a trail of star-dust
mesmerised
pa played out of time
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