Music & Poetry

Mara Lynn Barbee

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Listening to music while reading poetry is a risky business.
You must know exactly what you're doing
if you want the two to get along.
A poem has its own rhythm, and does not always
cooperate
with whatever song happens to be playing.
Sometimes song and poem work together seamlessly
as if created in the same breath,
swirling and dancing and showcasing one another's better points.
But other times they can be spiteful rivals,
vying for your attention and disrupting each other.
Do not let them do this.
No one gains when music and poetry fight.
Only when they are in agreement
are you treated to something bigger than either
could aspire to be when working alone,
and fighting every step of the way.

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