Seattle Aquarium,
Spring, 1995
En La Casa Museo
de Augustín Lara,
Veracruz
Casa de Cortez,
Antigua, Veracruz
ABOUT
GAIL E. TREMBLAY
|
|
En La Casa Museo de Augustín Lara, Veracruz
(for Lidia Huante)
by Gail E. Tremblay
I wandered around looking at pictures,
photos that measured a lifetime spent
writing the music beautiful women loved
and sang, women that teased lyrics alive
with their tongues, making notes caress
like kisses 'til a whole generation swooned
over this man's words, rhythms, his harmonies
that vibrated so gracefully against the skin.
And the women in the photos were not just
beautiful, they sang insouciantly, the spice
of their spirits lit their voices, they gave
more light than candlesthey were the saints
every sinner wished to pray to. The house sat
on a corner, a pristine white and full of wind
blowing in over a shimmering sea. Everything
felt fresh and full of whispering energy.
The piano was placed near a window
overlooking the waves, home of conches
and luminous fish, a place where palm trees
couldn't help but get a little drunk on the sun.
I sat on the white divan, and a charming
older man played every song I named.
Twice I cried, longing for you, my friend,
whose mother, a cook for farm workers,
died much too young when you were only
seventeen. We who grew up on different
coasts, on rock and roll, years later
would celebrate your mother's memory
cooking mole for Thanksgiving and playing
Toña La Negra singing with that weighty
woman's voice all these marvelous
compositions that keep memory alive
Oh how I miss your presence in this room.
|
|