‘On a Terrible Orchestral-chorale Concert’ by Peter Venable

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On a Terrible Orchestral-chorale Concert

Trapped here with vain musicians—what a fate!
An echo chamber that I can’t escape.

Conductors lead, nude but for bandanas.
On their right side, Carmina Burana

With German horns, tubas, and slide trombones
Blasts louder than an ocean’s worst cyclones.

Countless accordions from metal seats
Blast Miller’s Polka on their left—off beat.

Behind, thousands of shady things play harps,
With half of them flat, the other half sharp.

Myriad shapes blow instruments off key—
Demons shriek and dance in hideous glee.

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Peter Venable has been writing poetry for 50 years. He has been published in Windhover, Third Wednesday, Time of Singing, The Merton Seasonal, American Vendantist, The Anglican Theological Review, and others. He is a member of the Winston Salem Writers. On the whimsical side, he has been published in Bluepepper, Parody, Laughing Dog, The Asses of Parnassus, Lighten Up Online (e. g. # 48) and the Society of Classical Poets.