campbell's cream of piano soup
for tom robbins
and thelonious monk
" call the doctor on the piano "
nrbq
she answered all his questions
with music
he asked how her day had been
and she played louis armstrong
on the stereo
the rasp of his voice
asking for kisses
to build dreams on
he asked her for a kiss
and she played john coltrane
and eric dolphy
whistling wild whispers
about favourite things
he asked her
if she would stay
and she put on monk
turned the volume up
and put out the lights
the next day when he woke
there was a copy of her heart
tattooed on the pillow
kisses on the mirror
in the hall
she
was nowhere to be seen
when he went into the living room
he saw her shadow spinning
it was on the turntable
going 'round and 'round
and 'round
campbell's cream of piano soup
from
portrait
Copyright©michael dennis/ DOLLAR POEMS Brandon University Press Brandon, Manitoba 1988