Forbes So Quiet

You can’t hear him plugging up the bell with rubber mute stopping pausing again going lower pigeons and flies in the garbage in the alley rose and golden light rising in a gust of wind auto engines start and rev jets in the sky and the like even power boat motors in the harbor

Furtive upward glance still still on the mute upswing and downswing so light and slight pottering puttering sputtering lips making popular love with the silver mouthpiece high on pips and pops now just like Pops speaking and squeaking talking in melodic tones pulling out a lovely tune peppy and poppy

Racing on three valves Valvoline pumped like a race car at Indy 500 stopping in the pit for a second and back on the road a million miles an hour but a delicate pace gentle melody again tune rolling down the stream flight of a bee in the nectar blooms of the lilies of the valley and the mumbling dark of bears who can’t get enough yet quiet in the peaceful vale all is peace his golden wedding ring shinier than the trumpet his child on his mind bright as his newest song with Lillian sung together in the park at noon soon the whistle sings the tea is ready
 
Bell

Bell struck blue
With song
And gold
In the sun

Tree in light
Reflected as air
In the shine
New breath
 
Gazpacho

And egg and eggplant sandwich
from the clover truck

afternoon still early and fine
as morning, beautiful and slim

and sexy Japanese girl ahead of me
in line doesn’t notice me as I try

to look in her eyes; I look at her
sneakers, small and blue

on small feet… So much to notice
as I gulp my gazpacho in paper cup
 
A Day’s Reflections on the Night

I’D M, Crank, Andrea, giving up
grinding electronic steam

left to device of voice,
and voice of the other

phantom voices of friend
in the dark of Saturday night

as it closed: I’D M gave away
his “BLOOD” sign to me

scratched in marker
on lined paper

I coiled in like news in my hand
for the walk home

with Andrea’s Latin ecstasy
as she ended the night
 
Girl in Dress

Black dress palmettos
And crazy patterns
Bursting over black
Recorder and thumb

Piano over slick
Electric guitar
Ocarina even
Child’s toy
From Spain

Symphony
By a state house
Sounded by the passing
Church bell
Scrambled by the boiled

Egg slicer she gets
The lucent tones
Of steel from
Boiled and crazy

Thumb piano darker
Bubbly and watery
Waves washed up
On Cape of Good Hope
From Red Sea

Metallic clang
Burst by slim
Black flute
Resistance
From transistor

Radio scratchy
And silver
Slick electric guitar
Pushed to pieces

With pedal
Warping the aggressive
Sounds pouring out
Like sea salt
Out of fish gills
 
Random Clan Performance

Sound spat out of tapes
Radio reports
Siren sounds spun
On high

Man in black
One in white
Hovering over orange tarp
Like helicopter

Sounds grow strong
Buzz in beelike signals
Dance directing traffic
To the hive

Copper offering bowl
Cupped in Vela’s hand
Receptacle waiting for
No offering

Board erased of symbol
And sense each time
Every effort spectator makes
In speculation

Tapes replaced in players
Random voice of child
On phone
To wooden toad rattled

With stick
As serene and eerie
And seductive
As sound in woods

In summer night
Adams sliding
Like shortstop for a ball
Down summer grass

Or loping like gazelle
Round orange tarp
Vela tucks back in black bag
Leaving Adam following