Capo and broken string
tangled among the notes
askew on the page
in vulgar clusters
lop-sided scribblings
lost words
the bass clef looks depressed
the treble bloated
three sharps
that look like barbs
on a wire fence
Key of A
or is it F-Sharp Minor
it shifts back and forth
the notes fly from the page
and they tumble and rain down
like confetti on a windy day
some are stuck in my hair
i try to shake them off
some shine
briefly
as they catch the sun
before disappearing
to unknown streets
to be swept or washed away
through gutters
or behind trash bins
in stinking alleyways
where they will fade
beneath the sound
of city traffic
and the odd siren
the elements will finally break them down
some day
they were out of kilter anyway
...if a man plays his song in the forest
does it make a sound?