(Ethereal Choir)
Choir (Whispering)
"Golden light, a fleeting shadow…
The hunter’s heart, the nymph’s escape.
Fate’s cruel hand, the sun’s bright arrow—
Love is a wound, a fleeting shape."

---

2. First Movement: "Apollo’s Lament"
(Male Solo – Apollo / Lyre Leitmotif)
Apollo:
"I am the sun, the song, the flame,
Yet you elude my burning name. * 
Your laughter haunts the forest air—  
A melody I cannot bear.

I’ll chase you through the endless green,
Through rivers, rocks, and skies unseen.  
For in your flight, I see my fate—
A love that burns, yet comes too late."

---

3. Second Movement: "Daphne’s Flight"  
(Female Solo – Daphne / Flute Leitmotif)*  
Daphne:  
"I am the wind, the stream, the tree,  
No chains of gold will capture me.  
Your light is fierce, your touch a brand—  
I’ll flee your fire, I’ll make my stand.  

The earth will shield me, roots will rise,  
My branches stretch to claim the skies.  
Your love is fire, but I am free—  
A laurel’s crown, not destiny."  

---

4. Third Movement: "The Transformation"  
(Choir & Orchestra Swell, Tragic)  
Choir:  
"Roots entwine, the bark takes hold,  
Her breath becomes the forest’s gold.  
The sun still burns, the chase is done—  
Her heart is wood, her soul the sun."  

(Apollo’s Despair)  
Apollo:  
"No! I am light, I am the flame,  
Yet you are gone, and I’m to blame.  
Your leaves will whisper in the breeze—  
A song of love that never frees."  

(Daphne’s Final Words)  
Daphne:  
"I am the tree, the wind, the sky,  
No longer yours, yet still I sigh.  
Wear my crown, remember me—  
A love that lives eternally."  

---

5. Finale: "Laurel’s Lullaby"  
(Choir & Orchestra, Bittersweet)  
Choir:  
"Golden chains and laurel veils,  
The sun still weeps where Daphne trails.  
Her branches cradle every dawn—  
A love immortal, never gone."  

(Apollo’s Resolve)  
Apollo:  
"I’ll wear your leaves, your crown of green,  
And in your shade, I’ll dream unseen.  
Though you are tree, and I am flame,  
Our love will burn in nature’s name."  

(Closing Choir, Fading)  
Choir:  
"The sun and tree, forever bound,  
In whispered winds, their love is found.  
A laurel’s sigh, a golden ray—  
Apollo’s heart, Daphne’s way."  

---

Mij was a storm of laughter and defiance,
A stubborn spirit, ever demanding his way,
Yet when the drinks flowed, oh how he shined,
A madcap maestro in the delirium of night.

Johnny Thunders on the speakers,
Hanoi rocks and Lords of the New Church
Echoing through our wild, endless journeys,
Tunes that stitched our misadventures into memory.

He’d promise me refuge in sunlit Greece,
An open door to his scattered sanctuary,
A place I longed to visit,
But lost my courage amidst the clamor of his drinking.

Now, two years on, silence aches where he once roared,
And in the quiet, I feel the bittersweet pull
Of laughter mixed with grief,
Missing the man who was as difficult as he was dearly loved.

In every clink of glass and every chord played,
I hear Mij’s defiant laugh a reminder
That even in chaos and excess,
There was a spark of beauty, a story worth every flawed moment.

Believe it or not
The Parson is right
We shall return with zeroes
Many zeroes.  Let’s be Heroes
For and to the world. Let’s not be selfish
Because we shall return with zilch
With nada, mit nichts, perhaps with empty zeroes
Which mean nothing. Let’s pause
To think. Let’s be wise and humble
Love is essential. When the trees tremble
And fall; when the ground shakes and burns
When the soil slithers and slides, the world yearns
For peace, sympathy, compassion, and love. With nothing
We shall return, just like we came on earth with nothing
The sky will always stare at us, as we raise our head
Heaven will remain at the same distance
And we shall leave alone, with nothing, with no bed
No castle, no money, no power and no incense
Believe it or not
We will be blessed to be in a wee lot
After the soul departs
And the ash rots
Believe it or not
The Poet is right.

P.S. This poem is dedicated to the kings of the world.
Copyright © January 2025, Hébert Logerie, All rights reserved.
Hébert Logerie is the author of several collections of poems.

3 dollar kalimba
from the thrift store
only eight notes
never any more
3 dollar kalimba
plays a little tune
got it as a gift
of plastic hewn
3 dollar kalimba
heart shaped acrylic
lets the light through
of nothing in specific
3 dollar kalimba
that doesn't reverberate
too small a structure
to support sound ornate
3 dollar kalimba
with some added stickers
one of a rainbow
the other a faded picture
3 dollar kalimba
the eighth note is flat
but its melodies continue
in despite of that fact
3 dollar kalimba
how i love you so
your metal teeth ring
from high to low
3 dollar kalimba
forget what time it is
when i hear your sound
don't care what your price is