don’t explain away

they’ll tell you to

explain away

the feelings that you feel

when the music comes on,

when your favorite performer

wails, when

it hits you in the deepest part of

your heart---

they’ll tell you to

press those feelings down,

for the stirring that they

create may very well propel you

to want more &

to ask more of this life

than they want to give &

you’ll be told

that there is no “they,”

that everyone needs to

come to the same conclusions

at some point, that there are

some things that happen

because “that’s just the way it

is” & you’ll be expected to

lay down on the ground

so that they can walk all over---

you’ll be expected to shut up

&

be “normal,” to

baaaaaaaa with the rest of the

sheep, that legendary herd

responsible for doing nothing

when tragedy strikes, for always

turning their heads when faced

with violence, for always

wanting things to be quiet &

simple---

but the music is still there,

just as when you were younger,

it vibrates, it echoes, it

drives the messages home

right up your spine, nestling

in your head where they can’t

get at it, if you don’t let them &

if you don’t explain away how

the music makes you feel,

then you will never lose it,

then you will always have

something that you can share

with others, always have a

conversation starter, always

have memories to bookmark

with the melodies, which you

can draw upon & make

friends with, always be able to

bask in the warmth that

these feelings provide &

it can’t be taken away,

it can’t be stolen,

no matter how hard others will

try.