April 29: "Jazz Man," Piano Lessons, "Poet Man"

Billy Collins jazzing things up . . . 

Jazz Man

by:  Billy Collins

I've taken some lessons

and worked on

some nice voicings for the chords

but all I have to do

is raise the keyboard cover one inch

and the cat dashes from the room.

Haven taken piano and organ lessons for over 12 years, I understand what Collins is talking about.  Because our family's piano was in the same space as the dinner table and family TV, I was often severely limited in the time I had for practicing.  If I sat on the piano bench, my brothers and sisters would dash from the room like Collins' cat.

Anything worth doing in life requires hard work, even if you're exceptionally gifted.  Charlie Parker didn't emerge from the womb with a saxophone in his hands, and there wasn't a fountain pen in Emily Dickinson's fingers when she took her first breath.  Great art requires great effort.  And sacrifice.

Saint Marty is still learning how to be a poet.

Poet Man

by: Martin Achatz

No matter how much

I practice with pen

and paper, smash words

like pesky mosquitos 

onto the empty page,

I still end up

scratching and scratching

all night long

until I draw blood.