The emergency bassoonist
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By lavadis
Sun, 29 Dec 2019
- 1843 reads
5 comments
The emergency bassoonist
sits in his huddle-flat
on the frayed edge of functioning
cradling his telephone
in his crumpled lap,
waiting.
With each synchronous rotation
of his pursed purple lipped
lung cage
the grapple hooks loosen
The first few notes of
Executioner Style by
Kool G Rap
thrum-vibrate as he
flusters for the call
with twizzle fingers.
A smile dribble-leaks,
a fatal car jacking behind
Uno Mas? in the heart of
Los Cabos,
an oboist and a violinist
gunned down
a bassoonist
fatally wounded in the crossfire
a bassoonist
a bassoonist
He gathers together
the entrails of his
sanity
like the remnants of Shelley’s heart
and placing the instrument
into his quivering mouth
he blows with bronchial
effervescence
bass and tenor clefs
one treble, another
Beginning to shiver
he judder-squints
through
the contents
of his velveteen case.
Polish cloths, needle files,
low A extension, mini reeds
a Glock 19
10 rounds and one more
in the chamber.
He unfurls the city map
and shrugs on his
greatcoat
to be wanted
to be needed
to be left
to leave
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Comments
1 User voted this as great feedback
Wonderful use of language - I
Wonderful use of language - I have read this aloud several times now, enjoying it more each time. The dark humour and the little details that build up the picture, the rhythm like a piece of music itself. A tremendous read.
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1 User voted this as great feedback
This stands on its own like a
Permalink Submitted by Jane Hyphen on
This stands on its own like a piece of art. I really love it.
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