the piano man's clientele

EDIT: This spot is reserved for my biggest thanks to ^Halatia for the DD feature!, and to everyone else who has taken an interest. Thank you!



This poem can be read in three different orders.

Purple

The clientele
slipping in among the crowd
straight on "until"

Elaborate no further.
after 3 A.M., you couldn't more than keep
just sitting around and listening

for about three years, new arrivals
was all wrong
not brazen, not rhythmic
not, not

Their first uncertain year:
uncannily human shrieks and cries
inspired by wild expressiveness
the other sounds rise to a hectoring beauty
antic sounds, willfully absurd, seal the urgent message
chilling a funeral cortege with skeletons
if not by the force of law then by the force of the thugs.

Orange
How long the night went on:

Huddled on the stand, the handsome young piano player
a familiar number under one name or another
sweet, straight, "under conversation"
who blazed through town now and again
even if he couldn't let let go the promises of all he heard.

A three-minute drama
finds ease and release in manipulation of
an unexpected emotional punch
from Chopin's "Funeral March"
audience reactions
once mocking and dancing
his most extraordinary talent.

Together
The clientele
slipping in among the crowd
straight on "until"
elaborate no further
how long the night went on.

After 3 A.M., you couldn't;
huddled on the stand, the handsome young piano player.
More than keep a familiar number
just sitting around and listening.

Under one name or another, for about three years
new arrivals - sweet, straight, "under conversation"
was all wrong, not brazen, not rhythmic
not, not - who blazed through town now and then.

Their first uncertain year:
Uncannily human shrieks and cries inspired by wild expressiveness
even if he couldn't yet let go the promises
of all the other sounds he heard
(a three minute drama).

Rise to a hectoring beauty
Finds ease and release
in manipulation of antic sounds
an unexpected emotional punch:
from Chopin's "Funeral March", willfully absurd.

Seal the urgent message
audience reactions, once mocking and chilling
a funeral cortege with skeletons dancing
if not by force of law then by force of the thugs.

His most extraordinary talent.