Weeknight Song by Mark J. Mitchell

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WEEKNIGHT SONG
                            For JJ

He watched her sort her old music, careful
to stay quiet. He saw notes were new tears.
She catalogued each song by its full
title. Choruses haunted her. Their sheer
artistry held her dark, still child-like eyes.
Black and white memories—shiny tap shoes,
elegant dresses—kept screening. She tried
to love each sheet before she set them loose.

He looks back at a screen then back at her,
his long love. She remembers long lost shows
she watched. Those old musicals, carefully
restored. Silly words, then bright notes and tears--
she’d cry each time a girl lost a boy. She’d
bathe in a technicolor kiss that lasted years.
He could smell nostalgia. Knew its allure--
The song and dance. And she knows that he knows.

Who wrote that? he stops himself from asking.
because mis-stepped auditions’ crystalized,
too fragile to touch. Words are the last things
she wants. Just minor keys in each score she finds.
He’s watching her. She’s his music. Careful,
he keeps quiet. They’re her notes. His cool tears
could destroy her work. She won’t dare pull
these delicate books out again. Her fears

would stop her. She sees him over there, hears
his rough breath as the tv blares dull
news they both know. Then another song falls
to their old carpet. The sound’s a surprise,
like the picture on a song she recalls
someone else singing. Her memory lies.
He sees her old music, sorted. Careful,
she stays quiet, dotting sharp notes with tears.


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Mark J. Mitchell was born in Chicago and grew up in southern California. His latest poetry collection, Starting from Tu Fu  was just published by Encircle Publications. A new collection is due out in December from Cherry Grove. He is very fond of baseball, Louis Aragon, Miles Davis, Kafka and Dante. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, the activist and documentarian, Joan Juster where he makes his meager living pointing out pretty things. He has published 2 novels and three chapbooks and two full length collections so far. Titles on request. A meager online presence can be found at https://www.facebook.com/MarkJMitchellwriter/