HORNS SPIKE THE NIGHT

Travel can definitely get my creativity flowing, the novelty of new places, the space to observe and the simple fact that I am lucky enough to be footloose and free. I have a very privileged life, and for that I give thanks.

This is a poem I wrote as the Palm Sunday procession slowly passed my hotel room window in the early hours of Monday morning.

PALM SUNDAY PROCESSION GRANADA

half asleep in your hotel room

on a street of darkened windows

loud voices converse

as if it wasn’t well after midnight

then you hear the drums slow beat

speak a language your blood almost knows

every now and then horns spike the night

unexpectedly you find yourself an observer

in a doppler effect experiment

as you note the red shift

all the way to the cathedral

The title, I hope, sets the scene. Voices in the night, the sound of drums, brass slowly passing the window and changing in pitch. I tried to marry the doppler effect with the red shift visible in space, the furthest stars exhibiting the same doppler effect. I am not sure it works, I am too near to the conceit at the moment. Time will tell.

Natalie Merchant has a new album out. I await my copy and leave you with a new song.

Until next time.