poem for someone else’s song

can’t take this away from me
music is the air I breathe

— sleater-kinney, “words + guitar”

chords rose
staccato out of a bed
of unison vocals

and became weightless,
immense

the balcony moved
above it, swayed
once and
settled back
like silt falls to a near rest
after boots plow through the riverbed

watching carrie dance the focus
twistjump wriggle backdown
never missing one chord
janet in the back with a rock
corin afterburner wailing

sou and bill afire at the edge of the rail

ken stood next to me
in those last years of his life
his eyes closed as he danced
as if it was the last day he ever would

i don’t remember if i danced
but i know i moved
was moved to ask
am still asking

is there a song like that
in me?