Pull a slip of paper
from the fishbowl, sidle up
to your assigned instrument—sit
at the traps, fondle frets, moisten
the reed.
The act of drawing
your assignment does not convey
competence, any more than the act
of drawing a different set of keys
from the punchbowl mandates
someone else playing second fiddle
for a while.
The most eager participant
always begins the riff, sets the tone,
the pace, chooses the key. The decision
before you: whether to harmonize.
Robert Beveridge makes noise (xterminal.bandcamp.com) and writes poetry in Akron, OH. Recent/upcoming appearances include The Literary Yard, Big Windows, and Locust, among others.