Psalms and the Blues

by Angie Mack (c) 2019

For some of us, you see,
music is the only friend
that we have.
Or at least the only friend
that we can trust.

Others of us?
Couple that with faith.
Without that, we are doomed
to die from the sorrow
that consumes our lives.

But the blues, you see.
The blues is emotion.
And sometimes our instrument
is the only one who will listen.
We can’t flaunt our money.
We can’t boast of piety.
Our homes are broken.
Our relationships once soared
and then crashed.
We are disadvantaged.
In some way.
Disadvantaged.
Opportunities have not been
equal for us.

Perhaps we are laden
with grief and sickness
so great that getting ahead
requires more energy
than we have.

People who have the blues
have somehow lost respect
with society.
But are we worthy of respect?
Absolutely.

Yet there seems to be an oppressor.
Or multiple oppressors
in the blues musician’s life.
Evil and oppressive controllers
who want nothing more than
to see the musician tied down.

Yes.
We are tired.
We know that fighting probably
won’t make a difference.

And so we retreat to song.
The song is where we are free.
Free to express whatever feeling
it is that we might have.

King David had feelings.

Son House had feelings.
Both had many feelings.
Authentic feelings.
Sometimes wrong feelings.
But feelings.
To be human is to have feelings.
The similarity between the Blues
and the Psalms is quite astounding.

DISCLAIMER:  Remember that the purpose of the true artist is, sometimes, to get others to think.  Writing is an art form that can be just as minimalistic or abstract as any painting or dance can be.  Most of my work is to get others to think.   Poetry is an artform.  So as you read my work, imagine sitting in a museum and listening.  Not everything needs to be literal in life.