New Orleans Man

A poem...

I once knew a man who sang the blues
-on a corner in New Orleans.
With a broken guitar and no shoes
-he sang away the devils and fiends.

He sang to the moon
He sang to the sun
He sang to the heavens above.

He played such a tune,
-that his fingers went numb
He sang about loss and love.

This man played, 'til his heart just quit
-now he no longer sings.
They left his guitar, broken and split
-on that corner in New Orleans.

Now, I keep a window open
-and listen for the sound
Of a soulful, shattered guitar.

From a heart that's broken,
-and a voice that drowned,
The sound of every bar.

I once knew a man who sang the blues
-outside my window, in New Orleans.
With a broken guitar, he played a tune
-that banished my devils and fiends.

Author's Note

Wrote this in one quick sitting. Its one of those things where I just set my pen to paper and this is what came out. Hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think. Criticism is always welcome ^^

Reviews

[RachelReaper]

You have a very distinctive, quirky and riddle-like way of writing, and you don't see that very much today, its excellent, if you keep up writing like this you'll be in good shape. This poem had a creative theme that I haven't heard put this way until just now.

[MachinaWriter]

Wow, thanks ^^ That really means a lot. Its good to hear when people find your work unique or distinctive, so that's a great compliment. Thank you.

[Southern Cross]

Wow..took me by surprise and having been to New Orleans many a time..I could see him on his corner.. Why do all your poems seem like songs to me? You should try your hand at song writing. Classic Neil Young here..and I don't listen much to classic rock but this seemed to fit his growly voice.I'll be your manager LOL

[MachinaWriter]

Ha, I love music. I hear it all the time, even when I'm writing poetry. Only problem is, I can't sing for anything lol But the lyrics are there. If only I could learn to carry a tune xD Yeah, I loved New Orleans. Not a place like it in the States, if you ask me, and I've moved a lot and been to a lot of cities haha

[Southern Cross]

I'm always with the buds in my ears LOL..and I can't sing or carry a tune but damn... good music is like great sex... nothing beats it..oops maybe I shouldn't say that on here

[MachinaWriter]

Nah, you can say what you want lol I definitely feel you there. But it goes both ways haha Because bad music is like bad sex. It leaves you a little angry, feeling a bit cheated lol

[eglantine]

I would not italicize "my" in the last line, takes away from the awesome rhythm you have going on. Thanks for sharing.

[MachinaWriter]

Yeah, I was thinking of doing that anyways. When you mentioned it, I went ahead and fixed it. Thanks for the recommendation ^^

[Hester Vane]

A great write once again! I love the melodic repetition! Brilliant

[MachinaWriter]

Yeah, I felt that the repetition would be a good fit for the content of this poem.

[Kelsey]

One of my favorite pieces of yours, though I say it so often. This is really, truly beautiful in its own lovely way. Great job.

[MachinaWriter]

Thanks ^^ The idea of a blues singer playing on a corner in New Orleans just clicked with me. I love blues, and I love that city, so it fit. Thanks for reading it ^^

[Sirius King]

this is really nice, it sounds like it could be lyrics to a blues song

i enjoyed reading it, as always!

[MachinaWriter]

I've always been a big fan of blues musicians, so this was fun to write. I really wish I could sing, I'd try and make this into a song. And the only instrument I can play is the violin, which I haven't touched in years. Thanks for reading it. I figured you might like it, since we both seem to share a passion for music.

[Sirius King]

i love blues myself, tho i sing and write...ive never tried to write a blues song, but i think this would make a great one

[*~*Butterfly Kisses*~*]

Its funny how music can feed our souls, whether we are happy or depressed it somehow soothes our hearts. The streets of NYC have the occasional music players and I can't help but always watch. Great ending, nicely done.

[MachinaWriter]

I feel the same way. Its one of the things I miss about the city. There's a lot of soul in the city, beneath the coursing veins of pedestrian filled sidewalks and packed traffic. And that soul occasionally finds a way out, through the city's artists in their paints and charcoal, or spray painted as a mural against brick walls. It sings its way out through the voices of struggling musicians, who play songs amidst a sea of blank faces. That's just my thoughts, though.