Rhythm

 

"R-H-Y-T-H-M" Sister Catherine pontificated,
from her desk at the head of the room.

Grade nine. My introduction to rhythm,
to poetry,  to the world of words.

My first poem came to me there.
I wrote it down in my spidery scrawl.

                          ***

Gastown, 1972, as I felt personal freedom 
for the first time, and began to grow a Self.
Walking into a gallery: Here Comes the Sun
playing on the stereo. Love lying ahead,
just waiting to be discovered.

                          ***

Years later: a gathering of gentle people
in a meadow, just before sunset. The wild notes
of Mullingar rang out: fiddles, violins, drums.
Spontaneously, everyone began to dance,
in a wide circle, around and around the meadow.
My youngest on a friend's shoulders, both grinning.
Joy, as the sun went down on a golden chapter
of my life.

                          ***

2026. Songs of the 70's take me back
to all those joyous times: music, always
leading me, the sound track of my life.

Now they bring tears, for all the hope and dreams
we had back then. For how close we came
to changing the world.
For all that dark hearts have done instead.
For how much we need 
to change it back.

                        ***