Poetry by Cynthia Hilts

           Lenny DiFranza CC



scrappy little fable        

so what kind of song is a nine year old girl getting drunk?
and how would you interpret it for artistic benefit?
not that it would be better than the inimitable original
just a change, your own take
something of another quality to it
something outside the box

just for a little context
say this girl mixes herself a nice big tumbler of orange juice and vodka
and then she plays that song at her parents' party
she already knows the rhythm of a screwdriver
how the vodka doesn't taste bad just burns a little
when it's mixed half and half with orange juice
and note there is no adult interference
no counterpoint on this childish dive into deep waters
in all fairness to the blasted adultish possible onlookers
historically speaking, she might easily be mixing some grown-up a drink
plus, goofy and bright-eyed brilliant little nine year old that she is
mixing that sixteen ounces or so in a nice big glass
that desert dwellers think of as a reasonable container for water
well, she's very tall for her age
could easily be twelve
which might be construed by a roomful of very 
dedicated drinkers of the lefty bourgeoisie
as a fairly reasonable age to slug down a pint
of well-loaded cocktails at an event such as this
after all they are all there to drink and make
superlative homemade eggnog with five kinds of very grown-up booze in it
so hey, let the kid have her gigantic fucking drink and enjoy!

but wait, what would the interpretation be, musically speaking?
what kind of song is a nine year old girl getting drunk?
let's appraise the original version
there's all this history behind the composition and performance
a woozy piquant mix of ongoing ambient hostility, perfectionism and despair
so I guess the tune of our dear little drunk starts out as some
heavy Germanic old school militant shit
with an overlay of the mildest romanticism
then in comes the childish folk melody with occasional jolts of sarcasm
and an overriding fear coupled with tittering and 
occasional solemn formal bows to tradition
oh my god, is this a fucking polka?!
yes, I'm afraid the original is actually a quintessentially
humorless polka, facading as fun while meantime
the core and undertow are scraping bottom with 
unconsciousness and sodden intellect
cheerio!

let's reinterpret this polka for art
but how, how?

could bust up all the parts into unrecognizability
stick it back together again as a tone row
but everybody hates that twelve tone stuff
who will ever listen?

or we could simplify it to two or three chords
cut the melody to a couple of inane cartoonized repetitions
approximating the inner workings of the minds of the party-goers
and make it a pop hit

or heroize it into enduring icons
retain the tawdry Teutonic stomping elements
add some ornament and a thrice-delayed final cadence
as murky as several 
alcohol laden minds careening gracelessly towards lights-out
and have ourselves an opera

or can we turn this scrappy little fable into masterful jazz?
so the kid and her sad precocity are a poignant show tune
and the useless oughta-be caretakers over thirty are Ellingtonian harmonic tension
the glorious and victorious screwdriver is the obliging talent of a big band
its encompassing very functional poolside perfect plastic tumbler
is the hostage status of such an ensemble, hired by some rich jerk

arrangements can do a lot, but how do we deal 
with that initial relentless schmaltz factor?
put in a few rests here and there
slow it down or speed it up enough so
that it can function
in the ever gracious and forgiving form 
of a jazz waltz
now that's a lovely setting of the song 
of a nine year old girl getting drunk

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Cynthia Hilts is poet, jazz pianist, vocalist, composer and lyricist, bandleader, and teacher. One of her primary values as an artist of any genre, is that blood moves in the body of the art she produces. Her work has been published in ITWOW (In The Words of Womyn) Anthology, Carbon Culture, Inwood Indiana Press, 50 Haikus, and Poetry Quarterly. In addition to her published poetry, she has recorded four CDs of original music and lyrics