TGIF the Mozart Way



Your Family’s Farm, Empty

by Nick Lantz


"Buildings can't want."—Donald Rumsfeld


Neither does the ax regret each tree it has bitten,
though it leans against the shed
like a drunk locked out of his own house.



The tractor doesn't moon
over the physique of its youth.
The dry birdbath makes no plans
for the future.

What can the barn recall of the day
you climbed the ladder into its loft and found

a pair of buzzard chicks
skulking among the hay bales?
Your grandfather shot them with a pistol

and kicked them out of the haymow for you
to carry to the ditch beyond the field.

Does the barn remember those shots
exploding inside it like a burst neuron?
The weight of those bodies thudding to earth?

Can the field remember your feet crossing it, the air
heavy with crickets?
Does the ditch remember the bones the coyotes
gnawed and scattered?

You stand here, where the walnut tree was felled,
one foot on the smooth disc of the stump.

The grass makes no demands on your soul.
The cow paths are as forgetful as the rain.

If it is possible,
the kennel
grown over with morning glories
is less than indifferent to silence.



Tonight, Hubs and I are going to the Ballet--Mozart's Requiem. The girls and I usually have a standing date for the Sunday afternoon performances, but since HoneyHaired has ditched us for the sunny beaches of Greece(without a word yet!!!!), CollegeGrrrl has a work ethic and I'm expected to save brains this weekend, Hubby and I will go tonight. I hope he doesn't snore. Loudly. :>)




please note: art by Barrie Van Osdell, set design by Marion Williams, choreography by Adam Hougland, music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Comments

  1. Oh I hope you have fun...sounds lovely....smiles.

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  2. Hi Annie....I enjoy reading your blog from time-to-time. I'm a friend of Annie in Taos. I must say - what a wonderful surprise to hear a bit of Wolfgang Amadeus....the requiem is REALLY my favourite non-operatic piece of his - so much strength and passion. I hope you had a wonderful time.

    Thank you for sharing.

    ♥ Robin

    ReplyDelete
  3. For whatever it's worth, when #2 daughter was in Australia for 7 weeks, we heard from her a handful of times----briefly. No news was good news.
    Enjoy the richness of the music :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mozart's Requiem is my favorite all time piece of music so powerful and moving. I can't imagine what it must've been like to have that stored in his soul and mind, yet be able to write it down to be heard through the centuries! I envy you your ballet night!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love Mozart's Requiem...it is heaven-sent. Enjoy the ballet with hubby and I sure hope you hear from the grrrrl soon.

    Of all the poems you have posted, I do believe this would be my favorite. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

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Hey, thanks for your thoughts and your time:>)

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