Calliope

Bb------------------------------------------C
The siren’s tongue turns blue as a lover.
Bb------------------------------------------------C
She’ll hang from the neck until she has said.
Bb------------------------------------------------C
What privilege succeeds a muse for a mother.
--------------Bb----------------------C
And we’ll all hang while she reflects.

Ab------C
Black dogs.
Ab-----C
Dull claws.
-------Ab---------C
You juggle sensations.
--------Ab--------------C
They eat what you drop.

Bb --------------------------------------C
Calliope comes. A cruel demonstration.
------Bb----------------------------------------C
For girls who might sing in voices too large.
-------Bb-----------------------------------------C
Now magpies abound, from Naples to Athens.
-------Bb------------------------------------C
And Thessaly learned just who’s in charge.


Ab--C
Big crown.
Ab-------C
Comes down.
------Ab------------C------------------------------------Ab---------C
And leaves you blind and deaf and mute after one look around.


F----------------------Ab
Quite. Dressed in white.
----------C---------------Bb------------F
I’m just whistles and copper and pins.
F-----------------Ab
Stone. Marble skin.
---------C-------------Ab----------F
Music rolls do the work I just sit.
Ab
And if you find a song I hope you sing.

Bb----------------------------------------------------C
Push steam from your throat to hypnotize children.
------Bb---------------------------C
You carousel god, riverboat theme.
--------Bb------------------------------------------------------C
What Linus had loved, when your voice was still silken,
----Bb----------------------------------------------------C
is coarsened and rough. There’s dust in your screams.


Ab----------C
No one expects.
----Ab----C
Or genuflects.
-----Ab-------------C
We make this in secret.
------Ab---------C
You have no effect.