wood and wind

for “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane”

the woodwindist lay his bass clarinet

carefully on the floor

and picked up his alto sax

and while the singers had their bags all packed

the bass clarinet looked for all the world

like an inquisitive snake

.

its mouthpiece contained a sliver of wood

soaked to be supple

and the wind of the woodwindist’s lungs

makes the sliver vibrate

at a pitch dictated by which holes were covered

and a volume determined by the

s w I f t n e s s

of the wind