My
eight-year-old son
In
a conversational moment
Asks
if I’ve ever heard of
“Peter
and the Wolf”?
Yes
I have
It
is one of my favorites
Then
he tests further
And
asks probingly
If
I know what the instruments mean
I
start to recite a few
And
he
In
a rush to impress
Lists
off each character
Their
corresponding instruments
With
masterful precision
Until
he falters at the grandfather
It
is an odd instrument
I
suggest the bassoon
Which
he says sounds right
In
his most scholarly tone
Today
as I ate lunch
Sneaking
out to my car
Trying
to avoid my office
For
just a few minutes
I
saw a Calico out for a stroll
Sauntering
as cats do
Then
snapping round its head
Checking
for predators
Or
the rustle of potential prey
And
suddenly a clarinet begins
To
play the pretty little tune
From
Prokofiev’s playful symphony
The
cat is copacetic
Walks
in perfect syncopation
Is
kind enough to hang around
Waiting
until the last bar
Before
it lunges into the undergrowth
To
complete its scene
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