Beginning with Neil Young
on his eightieth birthday this year
and moving on to Amos Lee,
then to Tedeschi Trucks Band
covering Leon Russell’s “The Letter”.

I am old and I am reminded
of rock music I once loved
and EDM I could be interested in
and jazz, always jazz in the roots
of it all.

Did I mention how little I enjoy
listening to the music I used to love?
A safe harbor, a closed cellar to dwell in;
I long to close it out and get up
and move around the world.

Once a week I try to listen to
a program of world music, or another
of deep blues, or another
of Celtic music,
or another, or another…

online I read a long list of the music some folks call
“the greatest solos or guitar music ever recorded”
and the responses tumble out and
always start with Led Zeppelin or
Eric Clapton and there’s always a counter to those
with an insult or a sneer attached,

and I just gnash my rotten teeth
and think better of responding
that silence is better
than all those wankers;
then I pick up my guitar and I

can’t play a thing close to any of that
so I close my eyes and turn off the radio
and tell myself I’m getting old as hell
and no one is gonna care if I respond
so I don’t bother.

Give me a girl, a woman,
an unknown guitarist unfamiliar
with my tastes, a non-guitarist
in fact. Give me something unheard.
Give me a chance to redeem my taste;
give me something I won’t regret
or forget.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
onward,
T