shallow focus photography of gray asphalt floor

1950 Blues Guitar

Poems by The Paltry Sum: Detroit Richards 
Would you play it for me?
The man with the expensive
Hair asked politely.
He bought guitars
But doesn't play them.
Someone, somewhere
Had carved out a 
Cutaway at the neck
Ruining its value.
"It's not worth much.
Just a curio"
He offered me the guitar.
It was beautiful
Thick necked
Flat frets
Deep body
S Cutaway
Open tuners
Sounded
Perfect
Like tobacco
And Brandy
And the gravel
On the driveway
Like the 
Deepest blue
On the darkest 
Night
And the sound
Of Ella Fitzgerald
And Billie Holliday
Telling me about
Strange Fruit
And society's
Shame.
It sounded 
The herald
For little
John Conqueroo
And Old Father Time
And Muddy Waters
And deep red
Thunderbird wine. 
It sounded like
Woody, Lomax
And Leadbelly.
It sounded like
A world
Before
Color telly.

My fingers stumbled
Over boxcar doors
And Gaslight nights
And Dylan's first
Encore. 
They tripped and 
Tumbled
Out of backdoors
Running away
From husbands,
Gamblers and 
Whores.
They sped away
Lightly 
As we all know
Time flies,
They hesitated
In the '60s.
They paused 
For guitar straps
Of twine.
Sweetly 
Softly
Freely given:
A guitar that 
Saw some to hell
And others to
Heaven.

And now it's all 
Dying
Like good stories 
Do,
Now it sounds
Like it is sighing
And a lighter
Shade of blue.
Now that it has
Started
Progressed
And ended,
The old guitar
Still cries
Though it has
Been 
Lovingly
Mended.

19 Comments

      1. Michael Raven

        A number of different instruments, yes — when my arthritis lets me. I do some DAW-based sequencing these days to make up for the fact that my fingers have become gnarled roots.

        My favorite instrument in my collection is a Wechter 12-string acoustic (although my old Jasmine/Takamini 6-string got loved hard back in the day).

        I have a homemade bass, a couple of electric guitars and a newer Roland Juno-alpha keyboard. As I said, however, I lean towards virtual instruments these days — mostly trying to make them sound like real instruments, if the style of music allows for it.

      2. The Paltry Sum: Detroit Richards

        I have a guild acoustic. My arthritis looks a bit ugly but doesn’t cause me too many problems playing. I have never played a 12 string. I’ll link you to some of my songs and bore you at some point. Ild like to hear what you are up to musically.

      3. Michael Raven

        Here’s a mixed bag of old and new can be found here. Some snippets, some experiments, some “finished” pieces. All walks of genres, from folk to punk to early goth/post-punk to electronica/experimental.

        https://soundcloud.com/michael_raven

        It sounds better if you’re REALLY bored.

        I used to tell people when we performed that we sounded better when I was drunk (sober now), and spectacular when THEY were drunk.

      6. Michael Raven

        Love the sense of rhythm you give the pieces I’ve listened too. Fantastic! I’d like to maybe share a piece on my own site, if you don’t mind me doing so.

        I’m trying to place your voice — it has a flavor the seems familiar in a way I can’t quite place.

        Thanks for sharing. I’ll give them all a listen when I’m not supposed to be *ahem* working. 😉

      7. The Paltry Sum: Detroit Richards

        Yes, that would be great. Thank you so much Michael. I have been doing more spoken word than music recently. The accent is all over the place, it has been ruined by decades of moving around. It’s sounding more Californian recently I think, I can’t even hear it anymore! Im looking forwards to turning up the speakers and listening to your music later on too.

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