Listening, just listening, then suddenly, 

a word caught my ear

then another

and another

the way the words roll together

is like music

the words waltz together,

spin around,

then walk on together.

 

How does that happen,

letters coming to life, forming words,

then meeting other words? 

 

"Poetry" I mused,

only beginning to realize the power therein

as I resolved to try for myself

to see if I could force my words to interact

as those of Robert Frost.

 

The pen beckoned,

I found paper, I found a comfortable position,

and I wrote, 

never minding how awful those first few poems were.

 

I stuck to rhyme, to rhythm, 

not understanding that poetry was meant to be music,

utilizing forte,

utilizing piano,

throwing in a fermata here and there.

 

The structure was dull,

every other line rhymed,

every stanza identical in length, 

like an army of clones, 

my poetry marched down those pages. 

 

I had succeeded, for in those first few poems,

I established a beat, a rhythm, the percussion,

if you will...

 

As time went on, I added the other components of the music,

first the melody,

next the harmony,

eventually counter-melodies,

for I had realized that poetry was music without the noise.