A Discordant Symphony Poem by Allan Thorne

I awake from a dream
To a symphony.

The base line is carried
By a lawn mower
Growling away in a neighbor’s yard.
A schoolgirl in the next room
Carries the melody
And a bird outside the window
Trilling and chittering
Fills in the high parts.

Each instrument
In their individual way
Is making a statement
About their place in the world
And the effort it takes to hold that place.

The man mows his lawn
As a duty he performs
For his neighbors
And his self respect.

The schoolgirl is telling her mother
Of the Byzantine politics of her school class
And her efforts to hold or
If possible,
Improve her social standing.

The bird is loudly proclaiming his claim
To a territory, his mate, and his chance to reproduce.

I awaken from a dream
To the cacophony of
The struggle of life.