I read he was inspired
By the
Train.
There was something
About the rhythm
And the rattle
Of wheels
On the tracks.
Solitude and relative
Quiet, often
Foster
Creativity.
Sometimes, when I
Ride, in the
White noise,
I can almost hear
Notes and melodies,
Like a distant
Radio.
Somehow, for him
It clicked,
Like a wheel on
A track,
Rhythms and sounds,
Horns that almost
Imitate the noise
And clamor
Of a train in
Motion
But
Melodically.
An emotive
Clarinet
Cries and
Laughs, along
With
Thrilling swells,
Syncopation,
Exciting crescendoes and
Building rhythm,
Interrupted by
Sweet,
Lyrical, romantic
Melody.
Once, one of these
Crescendoes
Woke me
From a dream in
Which I was telling this
Story
Of the train and
Gerschwin.
Thank you,
Mr. Gerschwin
for your
“Rhapsody in
Blue.”
© 2021 Susan Joy Clark
This poem was written as part of dVerse’s Blue Tuesday challenge. (I think I am getting addicted to challenges.)
A little end note: I wrote a similar poem, free verse, about Gerschwin and the train for a college creative writing class years ago. This is not that original poem. With computer failures and changing devices over the years, I’ve lost some of my archives. The dream really happened, a lot more recently than my first poem on this theme. I had put together a classical playlist for insomnia, but this piece was a little too exciting for my insomnia!
Being a HUGE fan of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, I LOVE this poem! The short lines add to the pacing, the idea of the train….this is just wonderful!
Thank you. I’m a big fan too. I was hoping it had that effect, so thank you so much for sharing that it was successful. I’m so glad this poem makes you happy! 🙂
What a wonderful poem. It jogged a memory somewhere in the attic of my brain of a song that includes the sound of a train, and I am unable to dredge it up from memory. Drat!!
I like the “noisiness” of your poem and can see why people would connect Gershwin’s music with the sounds of the trains. This may be the first time I’ve listened to Rhapsody in Blue for this long. It’s exciting music.
It is. 🙂 Thank you for coming by and for your nice comment, and thank you for listening to one of my favorite pieces of music. 🙂
You’re welcome. He’s a commanding composer. No hesitancy at all.
I can hear that clarinet…(K)
So glad you can. 🙂
A stunning train-shaped tribute to Gerschwin’s most famous piece, Susan! I love the use of sound, especially in ‘the rhythm and the rattle’ with its alliteration, and the ‘notes and melodies, like a distant radio’. I also love the way you captured the clarinet’s ‘cries and laughs, along with thrilling swells’.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. I’m very glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
I love Rhapsody in Blue, and this is the perfect tribute. Don’t you think that opening glide sounds almost like a siren? The rhythm of the city runs right through that piece.
Agreed. 🙂 “An American in Paris” has a lot of that noisy, city traffic kind of feel also, and I love that too.
I think your poem surely would have made Gerschwin proud, Susan.
<3
David
Thank you, David. That thought makes me happy. 🙂
Love your poem and picture! Those rails say it all… The call of the train is hypnotic! I too love trains!
Thank you so much. 🙂 I do think I found a good image. I did a search on Unsplash for “blue train.” The train isn’t blue or even pictured, but there’s a lot of blue sky above the tracks which is is even better. I’m glad you enjoyed. 🙂
Yes, it works very well!
Wonderful blueness to the hue of your verse here, Susan.
Thank you so much, Rob. That’s rather a poetic comment. 🙂
I enjoyed your ekphrastic response to this Rhapsody. I never knew what it was called so thank you for enlightening me! 🙂
Thank you, Sunra. I’m glad you enjoyed it and glad you learned the name of the piece. 🙂 It’s easy to know melodies and not titles.
Absolutely! I had a good listen to it. It’s been used in so many films, I was trying to remember which ones! 🙂
I added an old blues song to the end of my poem. You might like it? It was a great opportunity for people to add their favourite song to their post 🙂
I always think of Disney’s Fantasia when hearing Gershwin… great images, and I admire how those short lines works like that city tempo of his music.
Thank you very much. I don’t have too much of a “Fantasia” association. I have seen the 2000 version but am more familiar with the first “Fantasia.” I found the clip on YouTube and should watch it again.
Thanks for following!
🙂