the weight of the music
is upon me
as I flip through my records
all cattycorner
in styles and years

sad with a ridiculous longing
to crush it all together
in a way that would do
what some sideshow medicine man
would sell

an impossible combination
of notes and beats
that would make sense
that would create a comforting frame
with muscle behind it

an unreachable thing
that seems to be sitting there
in the stack of records
I gaze at quietly
from this old couch
________________

Bob Hudson has worked as a New York City bicycle messenger and long-haul truck driver. His soulful, energetic readings are a staple of the poetry and spoken-word scene in his hometown of Jackson, MS.