swimming through clouds
backstroking breast stroking
darting ballet back and forth
a soloist in a school of fish
rhythmically changing directions
an urging through light and peace
surging through joy
none of it mattered in the endall the struggles pain and sacrifice
measuring up
discarding precious youth
dissolving disregarding time
what did all the cleverness achieve
success?
in the end
none of it mattered
just a puff of dust
a floating memory
a warm hand
an unexpected smile
kindness from a stranger
humility in greatness
a few soft words
That's what it was
this piece of music is awesome...and i bet some of the great composers and musicians had their time when they asked themselves if it was worth it..yet..i'm thankful they didn't stop...and i think there was no other way..if you're this talented, you lose everything if you stop what you love doing, no matter how high the price is in the end..
ReplyDeleteYes. I agree Claudia.
DeleteGreat take on the prompt - the power and passion of the soloist - clearly held in great revere by his peers- but what I think you are saying here is...what does it really matter....what does 'success' matter- what really matters is the humility of the artist, his humanness - his (sic) ability to reach out and BE human....not someone seen as superior - for me- these people, who are down to earth , human, but of course, exceptionally talented, are the best artists of all....This is what your poem said to me anyway! Hope I'm not missing the point (I sometimes do)
ReplyDeleteSpot on. You have understood perfectly..smiles!
Deletei guess it is all in how you define success...all the touches of the music on souls i imagine made quite the difference in the lives of those that heard....i agree with stu as well on the humaness of any artist making a large difference...
ReplyDeleteThe insight guru scores again!
DeleteBrendel and Schubert soothe and inspire. Your ekphrastic poem follows the melodic line beautifully. Although success doesn't matter in one way, aren't we glad those two musicians achieved the success, that enabled us to experience their wonderful work?
ReplyDeleteYes,indeed!
DeleteThanks for this insightful poem. All beauty and skill could pass, but it's the quality of the person's character that makes them admirable or to be admire. That's what really matters.
ReplyDelete"what did all the cleverness achieve"
ReplyDeleteHmmm, good question. Hopefully it made people laugh.
Don't think so. It was not meant to be a humorous poem au contraire!
ReplyDeleteA true artist creates not for success but for that which simmers inside. A certain humbleness, vulnerability, often extreme passion accompanies their creations. When "success" happens, sometimes the very essence of what made them great is lost...
ReplyDeleteI agree with your definition of the 'true artist' and Alfred Brendel certainly belongs to this category.
DeleteImmortality is not in the ephemeral, but what lingers in the mind; not in the touch of fingers, but the remembrance of that touch; not in the kiss, but in the memory of that kiss; not in the music, whose physical vibrations resonate only in that moment, but in the dreams that music elicits, which are timeless.
ReplyDeleteTrue and so eloquently expressed.Thus Spake the Poet Semaphore!
ReplyDelete