The guitarist

He stands upon his stage, 
Guitar in hand. 
With no introduction, he plays. 

Fingers perform a double speed foxtrot, 
Teasing notes with finesse. 
Bouncing harmonics with flare, 
As he cascades the frets. 

He stops. pauses. Soaks in applause. 
He changes his tuning, 
He changes his presence, 
Encapsulating his audience softly. 

Without warning, a palm-muted strum
Races against the previous timing, 
Deep, trembling chords shake 
In between the rhythmic pattern, 
Tattooing their sound in the ears 
Of all those it teases. 

Then, without a strum, 
The notes stream down the mountain, 
Quenching the thirst of the dehydrated. 
The second hand joins, 
The current ebbs in a new direction, 
As the intensity builds. 

Serenity concludes this piece. 

He takes a seat upon the stage, 
Looks upon his worshippers, 
Momentarily. 
But then dedicates all attention, 
To the curved bust on his lap, 
Trails his fingers along her elongated neck, 
Tempting new notes from her strings. 

The double handed caress, 
Leaves her trembling melodies, 
Harmonies, scales and patterns. 
Her wooden form obliges, 
Becomes slave to her master, 
And ensnares all who hear her pleasure. 

The sound reaches its climax, 
Leaving a room full of onlookers, 
Satisfied, sated and desiring more. 

The guitarist bows, 
And says 'thank you '

Reviews

[alanwgraham]

I've thought about trying to describe music in words and you've done a brilliant job here. It's good to see you back in the cafe and serving up some taste fare. Perhaps we are giving ourselves an impossible job when we try to describe music or a painting, or a sunset or a face. Of course if we haven't got a common experience to draw on we rely on the words.
Sorry, I'm rambling a bit!
Look forward to more.
Cheers
Alan

[Armistead Lindsey]

This piece was dug up from an old notebook, I distinctly remember writing it - I'd watched my one of my closest friends perform a short set in a community music showcase. I'd always praised his musicianship, but that performance made me forget to blink. His command of himself, the audience, the instrument, and the sound itself, was something to behold. Sometimes I still watch the videos back and get the same feeling.