My daughter was messing around on her grandmother's piano yesterday and I noticed that she very methodically lined up the cards first and then "played" to them. After a short spurt of "music", she would re-arrange the cards and substitute some of them for new ones. Musical playing cards. Of course. 52 notes, a multitude of combinations that produce a whole new range of melodies. You just have to learn a new set of notes. What songs would they combine to create? Which card would be your favourite? Which suit? Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm. Makes me want to play a hand. How about you? I can picture myself clutching a handful of cards as I fall to sleep, a sleep that brings a dream of lullabies I haven't heard yet.
I won't visit you this month. You won't call. I will raid your garden and you won't get any of the vegetables. I will make plans without telling you about them. We'll go to the store and not buy you one single thing. Whole books will be read and I will not tell you which ones. I will watch movies and not inform you. The nasturiums will ripen. Last month was different. I changed my schedule and took time off work to be with you. I dropped all kinds of plans for us to be together. You sent me messages, I received them. I picked up food that I thought you would like at the store and sent you pictures of every beautiful thing I saw. I sang with you. We watched the Great Canadian Baking Show. You chose the recipe for the garlic scape pesto and gave me instructions for making the gooseberry jam. I am in August without you. You are in July.
This is such a beautiful idea. It kind of reminds me of John Cage's work as well - our idea of music being re-arranged by say silence, or in this case, playing a hand of cards. Beautiful image, I love it. Sheilah
ReplyDeletethanks for letting me know about John Cage, Sheilah. I checked him out a little. Fascinating. I found this youtube video of a recent version of his 4'33 and it makes you think about finding/expressing music through silence in the age of the blackberry.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPZYyq8LoxA
it's hard to give over to that silence! xo erin