Hayden, Mozart, Berlioz, Monteverdi,
Wagner, Mahler, and Schoenberg . . .
The masters of orchestration
Dreamed words allowing instruments
To speak in concert with each other
From the tender poetry of the harpsichord
To the ocean roar of one-hundred pieces
Did I say words?
Yes, they dreamed the words
In sentences of timbred sound
Distinguishing one from the other
And still maintaining harmony
The tenor of your cycle sets the mood
Each note specific to the author’s vision
Each note a word, with sentences
Strung along in score
Each notation holds its meaning
Each phrase helps tell the story
In pitch and scale, across the landscape
Words must sail, from depth of double base
Vibrating resonance like soft thunder
I feel through my feet
To the soul-searching soprano’s
Clear-toned call
To some a Siren song.