If You Don’t Know the Words, Just Hum

Just three notes was

All it took to

Put this song inside myhead.

Now it’s like

A barber pole of

Alternating white and red

Turning, churning,

Never ending,

Echoing in lost refrain,

Patterned chaos,

Just enough to

Drive a simple mindinsane.

 

Time was I knew all thewords,

But that was oh, so longago,

As memory plays empty

Like a violin without itsbow.

 

No pity for the lonesomemime

Who slowly beats a silentdrum.

In truth, if you don’tknow the words,

My gentle friend…

     Just hum.