“The Art of Music,” by Adam Santana
I am my father’s daughter
as I walk through tall grass
that whispers melodies
in every season.
River songs pause
in winter to catch
breath for spring’s gurgles.
I see him there, sun
in his eyes, his white
t-shirt and faded overalls.
I am my mother’s daughter,
polar twins in yesterday’s
life in a bottle; reckless,
feckless magnets to violence.
She gleamed tall under
its dark, full moon, howling.
I, happy-go-lucky, dancing —
until her vicious punches land.
Though partitioned today, her
whiskey mockingbird yet sings.
Punam is today’s host for dVerse’ Poetics. Punam says:
These days my husband and I are enjoying the music of Linda Perry.
So, for today’s challenge let’s write a poem about music in any form. You can mention music fleetingly or write a poem dedicated to music. BUT please include any two titles from the following list. These are all taken from Linda Perry’s albums.
1. Edge Of Your Atmosphere
2. Sunset Strip
3. Life Despite God
4. Sunny April Afternoon
5. Bang The Drum
6. Life in a Bottle
7. Fruitloop Daydream
8. Tiny Box Of Lies
9. Knock Me Out
10. I Am My Father’s Daughter
11. Don’t Touch Me While I Am Sleeping
12. Secret Lover
Tao Talk 
I think we all connect music to childhood and our parents, Lisa, but the portraits you paint of parents in this poem are vivid and visceral, especially the lines:
She gleamed tall under
its dark, full moon, howling.
I, happy-go-lucky, dancing —
until her vicious punches land’.
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Kim, sometimes it stuns me how two such different individuals as my parents not only got together, but stayed together and produced more than one child with each other. My dad never remarried after their divorce, but I think my mom and stepdad were much better suited to each other. She tried to kill him once with the Kirby but he was a pretty tough cookie.
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Mine were similar.
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A great poem, Lisa, with sad reflections. I liked the river pausing to reflect!
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Dwight, thank you very much ❤
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You are welcome!
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You’ve brought us both the moods from both parents. Excellent writing
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Thank you, Sadje ❤
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My pleasure
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Love the portrait you have penned of your parents, Li! These lines, “River songs pause
in winter to catch
breath for spring’s gurgles.”… so beautiful!
And I love the closing lines. ❤️
Thanks for joining in with this reflective verse.
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Thank you, Punam, and thank you for the wonderful prompt.
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You are very welcome.
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Oh my, the ending of this poem was a great surprise. Well done.
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Thank you, Roberta.
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We are (always surprising) combinations of our parents. Full of their contrasts too. (K)
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So true. I feel it with myself and am surprised but not really when I look at my kids and how they’ve taken on aspects of their dad and I. Now I have a granddaughter to watch and wonder about what she’ll take on from her parents.
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I feel like I can trace things to my mother’s siblings as well. It’s a complex web.
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Though partitioned today, her
whiskey mockingbird yet sings.
We just can’t put a stop to good music. Music will find its way around to put life into the lifeless and provoke the talented to offer more of their special brew, Love this poem Jade!
Hank
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Well-said, Hank! Let the good music roll on!
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The second stanza and sharp contrast took me completely by surprise. Two stories, creating a third and powerful whole!
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Chris, thank you for reading and your comment.
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So different your parents, and I love how you not only weaved the lines into your poem but truly used them as pairs.
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Thank you so much, Bjorn.
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Beautiful portraits painted here Lisa, well done 💕
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AJ, thank you very much ❤
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I like how you’ve made rich music from some discordant notes, Lisa!
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Lynn, thank you. All part of the music of life ❤
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her
whiskey mockingbird yet sings.
I so relate.❤️
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Sorry to hear it, Melissa ❤
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“…life in a bottle; reckless,
feckless magnets to violence.
She gleamed tall under
its dark, full moon, howling….”
I simply love the mood evoked in this.
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Raivenne, thank you very much ❤
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How hard that would be, to live as such a contradiction.
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Yes, kids are always the innocents who suffer 😦
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