If you’re one in billions who seeks blissful silence
After five seconds of Beethoven’s keening Silenzio,
You might find his sonatas more bearable in moonlight.
If not, Debussy might help to make moonshine clearer.
If you hope to escape reality on the merry-go-round,
Try waltzing around Shostakovich for the Second Coming.
Avoid Tchaikovsky, as he might blow you off or crack walnuts.
Be careful maniacal Rachmaninoff doesn’t make off
with any grey cells you may have left to the Isle of the Dead.
To get over the blues, waft down the Danube, but
Refrain from being serenaded by Schubert,
As that would be the height of bad manners,
And you wouldn’t want to be the one that causes a mini-earthquake
In Vienna due to Strauss rolling in his grave;
Or Wagner might choose to let lose his Valkyries after you just for fun.
Don’t meander too near a lake while listening to Nightingale’s Serenade
Or Le Cygne might be the last thing you hear, if you’re lucky enough
To resist the temptation to plunge right into the pool of vibes.
And don’t hold your breath for a requiem from Mozart,
As he might be playing the magical flute at Figaro’s marriage,
Still trying to improve his music in the wee hours of the night.
