reggae madness
the dub changes gear,
downbeat reaching low,
before clambering into the
womb of
the heat’s curvy waves
rhythm tangles with melody
merging into
new alchemies of sound.
all the while, unruly
bass notes chase
each other
up and down the hillside,
as a rising tide of tempos
spit out
insistent tunes,
lacing moon and stars
together
with spools of reggae thread
II.
soft words mask
oceans of
rage,
refusing to make
peace
with the insanity that
hammers
the madman’s
purgatory
into a shimmering weapon
unable to
tear himself away
from
the sound,
he plugs thick fingers
inside each ear
but the rass notes
persist, brash and
bold,
rattling jagged nerves,
tightening around his
anguish,
tunneling deep into
the mind’s
dark corners
before bouncing off
the madman’s head
in a frenzy
of dub-drenched
fury….
copyright © by barrington salmon 2004/November 22, 2005
