The first time Maestro runs us through the score There rises an impending sense of dread As details we've rehearsed go out the door, And what we've practiced ends up on its head. Pronunciations and dynamics shift; We drill refinements 'til our minds our numb. Our pencils fly, lest we be left adrift, Our folders … Continue reading February 5: Murphy’s Law of Choral Masterworks
English
February 4: Distractingly Attractive
My days are often drenched with pulchritude, And though I'm grateful for its copiousness, Some situations beg me to conclude There's such a thing as beauty in excess. On handsome men I usually bestow A smile or cheerful greeting, but there's one Whose glorious perfection brings me woe Because his presence interrupts my tongue. An … Continue reading February 4: Distractingly Attractive
February 3: Good Night Sweet Prince
An actor dies in New York every day And leaves no more or less than any man; Remembered for the roles he once portrayed By family, colleagues, and his ardent fans. An actor died in New York yesterday, Who with his presence stage and film had graced, And while we mourn his loss, we yet … Continue reading February 3: Good Night Sweet Prince
February 2: The SuperB owl
A superb owl alighted next to me, With plumage bright and captivating call, Its annual visit easy to foresee, As was the promise we should have a ball. And while its blandishments were a temptation, I noticed that its wings were all askew, So rather than great feats of aviation, A lot of feckless fluttering … Continue reading February 2: The SuperB owl
January 31: Concerning Clerihews
A clever man was Edmund Clerihew Bentley; a novelist, comedic gem, And counted thus among the very few Who have a type of poem named for them. It started as a sort of schoolboy lark To help recall a chemist's famous deed, And with that salty rhyme he made his mark, And scribes like Auden … Continue reading January 31: Concerning Clerihews
January 30: Concerning Limericks
While sonnets have their devotees, too few Respect the limerick as poetry, While citing violations of taboo, As if perdition came from childish glee. Transgression, true, is in the poem's soul, To laugh at human idiosyncrasies, And mock the powers seeking to control Behavior and enforce morality. And yet, when I take up my pen … Continue reading January 30: Concerning Limericks
January 28: To Kazoos
From ritual and dance that strove to hide Identities from watchers' ears and eyes, Descended the kazoo, for years supplied By parents in response to children's cries. But when that cheerful buzzing banishes The woeful din, it substitutes a sound At which all satisfaction vanishes; Faust would admit the quandary profound. But kitschy and obnoxious … Continue reading January 28: To Kazoos
January 27: TAS (The Acronym Sonnet)
There must be something in our DNA Or in our language roots or ABCs, That make us love our shortcuts. MLA Provides just one of many SOPs: You needn't spell out acronyms like RADAR- Like SCUBA, it's in common enough use. Pronounce as words those entities like SPAWAR, To find their meanings, check their FAQs. … Continue reading January 27: TAS (The Acronym Sonnet)
January 26: There’s The Rub
What one can do on any given day Sometimes amazes, when reflected on, But other times it brings profound dismay To think of all the tasks one left undone. Such days can lead to restless, fitful nights In which the mind can't be dissuaded from Revisiting one's slips and oversights; Obsessively accounting what's to come, … Continue reading January 26: There’s The Rub
January 25: On Working Mendelssohn’s “Lobgesang”
When working on a project of some length We are advised to take it bit by bit, To gently test endurance and one's strength, But living with the fear one might omit A necessary passage or to find That when a crucial section is rehearsed, You find yourself in something of a bind And panic, … Continue reading January 25: On Working Mendelssohn’s “Lobgesang”
Libby Weber 