[Harp-L] Soul and Harmonica

Tue Jan 17 08:12:23 EST 2017

 Shubham Harnal wrote:
<Talking of poems, I had this one tucked in somewhere on my computer:
<
<Inhale and exhale as an erratic constant
<Really an afterthought
<A muscle memory
<Learned so it can be forgotten
<Lips compressing contorting convulsing constraining
<Pressing pushing pulsing pausing
<Thrusting twisting slipping sliding
<Eyes bulging
<Cheeks straining
<Forehead sweating
<Body sweating
<Face contorts distorts and legs resist the pressure
<Against a thin piece of metal that
<Left to its own devices is nothing
<Nothing at all
<Nothing without the other
<And a single note emerging
<Loose? loose in the room
<The room is filled
<Lonely loathing gloating soulful
<Shaky swoony swanky squeaky
<Boasting bragging bashful barking
<Now barely audible
<A single note
<A single note instantly recognizable for what it is
<The entire meaning of a person?s existence

There's some great stuff in that piece. "Learned so it can be forgotten"; "A
single note instantly recognizable for what it is/The entire meaning of a
person's existence"--like, wow.

I will just note for the record that if your eyes are bulging, your
forehead sweating, etc., then you're playing too damn hard, man!  We "play"
music.  It's not weight-lifting.

But I've certainly put my time in sweating and straining on stage and in
studio, and that poem goes a long way toward expressing exactly what I feel
when someone plays a note that's true--the entire meaning of their
existence, in the poet's phrase.

Thanks for sharing.

Regards, Richard Hunter

-- 
"The Lucky One" 21st century rock harmonica project at
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/richard-hunter-s-the-lucky-one/x/5259889#/
Author, "Jazz Harp" (Oak Publications, NYC)
Latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://hunterharp.com
Vids at http://www.youtube.com/user/lightninrick
Twitter: @lightninrick‪‪‪‪‪‪‪‪‪‪‪‪‪‪‪‪‪‪‪