Friday, June 15, 2012

Boogie-Harmonizing with the Boogie-Terrified

At the moment, our household has a lot of musical instruments. I hadn't really paid attention when it was just three French horns, three trumpets, a keyboard, a ukelele, and some unknown number of recorders and harmonicas. But recently the instruments have multiplied to include a cello, a guitar, a snare drum, and a marimba. Let me tell you, a marimba does not go unnoticed.

here's a marimba

Since marimbas are on my mind, I wanted to share this poem today:

The Boogieman Plays the Marimba

by Glenn Lyvers

Nobody ever asks why they call him The Boogie-man.
It’s because he has music in his soul. You can find him
playing the marimba in the zocalo on the evenings
he is not terrorizing children. When he is though,
terrorizing the innocent, he does so with style.
He peeks his head out of open closets, riffing,
“Booga booga, dittly dooga, boom boom boom.”

When the children cover their heads, and cry out for
daddy, he falls in tempo with their screams,
“Dadeeeeeeeeeeee”
“Fapity, dittidy, skittatee, deeeeeeee”
until there is a perfect mix of harmony on the long “eeeeee,”
and then when daddy appears, he slips back
into the darkness, still riffing in his head.
He pops out, and then into another room
with another bed.

At daybreak he changes into his sneakers again,
his “boogie-shoes,” and he taps his foot
while he plays the marimba, rolling his hips—
all day shuffling, riffing, foot-tapping,
until it’s time again, when he pops out to boogie-scare,
and boogie-harmonize with the screams of the
boogie-terrified. He is the “Boogie-man”
and he has music in his soul.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Posted with permission of the poet.

Mary Lee has the Poetry Friday round-up at A Year of Reading.

13 comments:

Author Amok said...

Hi, Tabatha. I can't wait to share this poem with my son's percussion teacher. My kid's favorite percussion instrument is the marimba. How did you end up with one at your house?! (I love the line where he slips into his sneakers.)

jama said...

What a fabulous poem! The surprise, the rhythm and beat and diction. Love it. You always find the best stuff. I don't know anyone else with a marimba in their house. Do you guys sing for your supper too?

Mary Lee said...

My friend Julia has a marimba in her house!

Love the Boogie man as music man!

Katya said...

Who plays the marimba? I can't let my kids see that one, or we'll end up with a marimba, too. My son had been hunting garage sales for a decent, cheap xylophone and we are adding a bugle this summer.

Donna Smith said...

If people can have grand pianos, why not a marimba! I'd rather have a marimba, I'm quite sure! It looks like it would be great fun. Loved the poem of the Boogie Man! A great music - literacy connection.

Linda B said...

I too want to know who plays? My brother is a percussionist & I love to hear him play. I'll send this on to him-fabulous poem. It's also a father's day poem, don't you agree? Love that he riffs during the day until time for the 'boogie-scare' again. Thanks Tabatha, for both the smile & the intrigue.

Tabatha said...

My older daughter plays French horn, cello, and percussion, so she is the marimba player.

Doraine said...

In my secret dreams, I want to be a percussionist. They have the best toys! What a fun poem.

M Pax said...

Yes, that would be a hard thing to miss. Enjoyed the poem with it. Have a great weekend!

Tara said...

Woah..,so that's a marimba! My son is a musician and collects instruments, too....so I need to share this with him. He'll want to get a marimba of his own though...and there is only so much space in our house, what with his organ, seven guitars of varying types, drum set, mandolin...sigh!

Andromeda Jazmon said...

My Buddy is staring percussion in fourth grade this year. Do I have a marimba in my future? That would be so cool!

Robyn Hood Black said...

Such a rockin' post, Tabatha! Thanks for sharing. You evidently have quite a talented daughter and family. (And I'm glad you let everyone fill the house with musical instruments!)

Ruth said...

What a fun poem!