sometime after the first note heard on earthi saw duane eddy
on american bandstand
i was 4
mom ironed away
as if automatic
the hot steam
spray bottle smell
i was too young to understand
but the sound was familiar and
the beat felt good
rock and roll bands
every summer friday
in the tennis courts
behind my childhood home
i was too young to understand
but i felt the teenagers dance
i watched the beautiful girls sway
drums slammed hard
loud guitars filled my soul
and i knew
i played my guitar at first
like a cripple
like therapy
my fingers hurt but i must
lose my atrophy
learn to dance
to know the truth
instead of lies everyone told
about me
the beatles
the stones
the kinks
guitars overtaking my every breath
drums slamming as i walked to school on the beat
playing in my head loud
overtaking all unpleasant and
life felt good
first band at 9
we played and
the whole school watched
the music loud and hard
the girls all loved me
suddenly
some teacher faces contorted
their hands over ears
their heads bowed
but mostly i
just watched the beautiful girls sway
we would lock eyes and swing
we knew
a dream evaporates
segues to a faraway city
thousands of people
in the dark hall waiting
i saw the rows disappear into darkness
their sounds excited
electricity builds, then explodes
we were onstage at last
the music an environment
my fingers moved, the amps roared
it was played by everyone
we swam within the womb
warm loud ocean
i watched the beautiful girl sway
the beat rose slowly
together we swam and dove and swam and dove
the ocean grew loud and boiling hot
we locked eyes and both came
and we knew
then suddenly
it was gone
a memory
but the music still played
in my head
and it caresses still
like life
like love
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