Ode to a Musical Saw
Every now and then I come across interesting poems about either the musical saw or street musicians. Well, imagine my happiness when I discovered a poem about the musical saw which also mentions street musicians!
Ode to a Musical Saw/Dave Bonta
No longer walking
the straight & narrow,
no longer restricted to the harsh
amens of service,
now it’s your turn to be held still
for the sawing of some
effete bow, generations removed
from any kinship with arrows.
But you’re free!
And this song of yours
might otherwise
never have been heard.
You put your whole body
into it, still ascetic,
but now for the cause of art.
There’s a sweet spot, the street
musicians say, & they find it
in you. Where the heart might be,
systole & diastole in perfect balance,
if you were more than cartilage.
The pure tone floats up
through two octaves of rejoicing
at your deliverance
from lumber.
Or is this grief?
© Dave Bonta
Printed with permission.
Photographer: © Visakh Menon
Thanks to your comment in my blog, I HAD to come and see what your street performance includes and this is so cool! I had seen someone on TV quite some time ago playing a saw and it really impressed me. Next time I’m in NYC I’m going to have to come and find you.
I love street performers! I see tons of them in Boston every time I’m there and the performances always make me stop and take it all in. And I think that’s probably one of the reasons I was so taken in by the movie “Once”.
Have a great day! 🙂
I first saw a man named Dewey Bogart play a musical saw in 1972. He said he had played carneagy hall. Dewey was quite a character
JB
I actually have a picture of him playing the musical saw. He was a very important person in my childhood!
Dewey Bogart was my beloved uncle
Dewy was a family friend that came to our house often and played right in my kitchen. I have pictures ❤️