"And Now You Complain?"

As your right and truly righteous knee,
   I have given you a "leg up" for 68 years,
And now you complain?

This knee has enabled countless hikes
   of various spans, grades, and speeds
Through brush and sand
   both alone and with others
   of two and four-legged persuasion
   while taking in Nature’s mysteries . . .
And now you complain?

This knee has let you make your bed
   and yes, lie in it, too
And change the style of your bedding so that you may
   take your day’s dreams
   and turn them into your night’s dreams
Sometimes running
   sometimes swimming
   sometimes standing your ground.
For I have developed into one of the
   handiest (and hardiest) parts of your body,
   save for your thumbs and eyes
And taken you in the wee hours of the morning
   down the stairs from your loft
   to relieve your body’s thoughts and anxieties.
And now you complain?

This knee has given you independence
   that your ancestors could only dream about
While you drove seven cars in five decades,
   and furthered your friends’ need to
   join
   escape
   move and
   persevere
While you stayed calm and secure
   in your Vehicle of Hope.
Only to then jettison into innumerable errands,
   some of them errant
   some of them of scant merit
   some of them readily apparent.
And now you complain?

This knee has fostered your artistic education
   ongoingly
   at
   museums, galleries, and ad hoc installations.
At concerts where you deftly stand at the back
   spying a better view of the stage
   (and closer proximity to the merch table . . .)
And now you complain?


Yes, this knee has helped create
   You, the Musician
   in space & time.

As you steadily stand to play
   your balafon that remembers Guinea
   your alto flute that remembers Paris
   your voice that sings & digital looper that remembers
      all your ideas for you.

As you steadfastly sit to play
   the pedals on your piano
      your djun-djuns that remember Mali
   and the pedals on your drumset
      your dumbek that remembers Egypt.

As you then move all your equipment to
   this rehearsal and
   that concert and
   less-frequented rituals
   of atoms smashing against each other
Under the moonlight and howls from other
   two-legged believers.

For this knee has watched you
   pace about in your studio
   channelling themes and textures from Above
   opening the skylight to let in more themes and textures
   and welcoming your students to their
      Destiny with Discipline.
And now you complain?


All cartilage aside,
   while you are about to replace me physically,
   I will always be
   Your Faithful Servant. 

 

 

August 2023

 

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©2023, Michael Smolens