After Hearing "Quartet For The End Of Time" Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992)

I. Liturgy of Crystal

The splash of red wine in the glass sets it to ringing
In tune with the cardinal in the cherry tree,
A dream of a crystalline bed in which you cannot be seen
Peeking over the sideboard to hear the Cellist play
The droning, palindromic sigh.

II. Vocalise, for the Angel who announces the end of time

The cat walks up and down the staircase,
Each step a piano key,
Then delicately balances on the rail
As the tap of the computer keyboard
Meshes with the percussion of heat ducts cooling off,
The Earth travelling its orbit
Pauses in silence,
The Angel appears at the front door.

III. The Abyss of Birds

Waking every morning with no alarm
Only the sound of cooing pigeons in the pines,
Or the nightbird making its last call
After being joined with irreverent howlings
From coyote pups
Who upset the neighbors’ Percheron
That kicks in the loafing shed wall,
The clarinetist's perfect tone and circular breath
Capture the deep sound of birds and trees.

IV. Interlude

The double light switch
Doesn’t turn on any lights,
Switches flipped simultaneously
Send electrons charging through the wires
Apparently to nothing.

V. Elegy to the eternity of Jesus

Isaiah 40;1-2 (KJV)

“Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God,
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem
And say to her
That her warfare is accomplished.”

VI. Dance of fury, for the seven trumpets

In unison the quartet brings in the Grotesqueries,
Flirting with the End Time,
Carrying histrionic baggage into the present,
Becoming increasingly translucent
As the musical score transcends the surroundings
The Angel appears in a rainbow
With no purse,
No sandals,
Speaking to no one
He shakes off the dust from his feet,
Sits down and pours a glass of wine.

VII. Mingling of rainbows for the Angel who announces the end of time

Black musical notes fall off of the plaid pillow
Spilling onto the wood floor
Where ants gather and eat them,
Light illuminates the Buddhas of Good Fortune,
The Day of the Dead figurines,
The serpentine trunks of Sandzen’s Haunted Trees,
Upstairs the computer keyboard glows pink,
The setting sun
Brings out the darkest hues
Of trees and flowers,
Four dogs fall over each other
Chasing a red squirrel.

VIII. Elegy to the immortality of Jesus

The high F harmonic resonates forever
With the vision of the violinist’s little finger
Losing flesh,
Becoming bone
As the bow slowly comes to a stop.

(Headings by O. Messiaen)