I dream every night that Mozart
mocks my ability to play
a Dsus4 chord and he
laughs and shakes
and points
his left little
finger wagging
it like a tuning fork
resonating a frequency
I will never hear
and in the morning
I sit holding my guitar
trembling
not a little
at the fingering
of the chord
and the weight of the instrument
but I play the fucking
thing and then
I laugh
too
because he’s right.
Dave O’Leary is a writer and musician in Seattle. He’s had two novels published and has published work in, among others, Slate.com, Versification, and Reflex Fiction. His collection of poetry and prose — I Hear Your Music Playing Night and Day — will be published in May 2021 by Cajun Mutt Press.
Twitter: @dolearyauthor