Photography © Jennifer Matthews

 

Bach is Played For Karen and Alan Wilson

The eyes of joy are round, and the eyes of fear are huge,
And scars and wrinkles on my face from beatings and insults…
Then the conductor comes on stage, and Bach is in the air –
The world is perfect, thanks to Bach, and everything is fine.

And everything is in its place when Bach is in the air…
And if you don’t have any hopes – the hell with planet Earth!
You don’t need wine and bread and stocks and movies and achievements,
And English suits, and velvet shirts and leather patent shoes.

You think it matters land or sand your perfect soles are touching?
You think it matters fish or crabs you’re bringing from the sea?
And if you’re tortured, and your life is hanging in the balance –
You think it matters who will kill you – enemy or friend?

And for all things to go wrong, and for your soul to suffer,
Perhaps because of that, oh, no, for sure because of that,
A humdrum orchestra had played habitually boring,
But nonetheless we stood and tried to listen and to smile.

Ah, my musician, dear friend, you don’t possess the knowledge
That there are no guilty ones, or sad, or sick, or mad,
When in your tired, smokey hands so tightly you are squeezing,
Ah, my musician, dear friend, your cherry clarinet.

 

Lazarus Trubman is a college professor from the former USSR, who immigrated to the United States in 1990, after surviving three years in a Strict-Regime Colony in Northern Russia. In 2017 he retired from teaching European Literature and Romance languages for twenty-two years to devote his time to writing. His work has appeared in print and online publications

Poet/Photographer Jennifer Matthews’ poetry has been published in Nepal by Pen Himalaya and locally by the Wilderness Retreat Writers Organization, Midway Journal, The Somerville Times, Ibbetson Street Press and Boston Girl Guide. Jennifer was nominated for a poetry award by the Cambridge Arts Council for her book of poetry Fairy Tales and Misdemeanors. Her songs have been released nationally and internationally and her photography has been used as covers for a number of Ibbetson Street Press poetry books and has been exhibited at The Middle East Restaurant, 1369 Coffeehouses, Sound Bites Restaurant in Somerville and McLean Hospital.