Steel and Ivory

by Ayanna

If Beethoven coulda been, coulda seen
breeze blow fronds of green,
coulda fly past centuries, continents
and land on sand, white
kissed by frothy blue,
If Beethoven coulda stand
in de heart of this island
coulda feel de heat of we special brew
I know
He woulda hold de hand
of Winston Spree Simon.
He woulda be a Panman.

Cause Beethoven soul have a hole
kinda like Clive Bradley own
that only sound of steel woulda fill.
Fingers tremble on de treble
create sounds to cause trouble
vibe reverberate and echo
from strings and ivory to steel of tomorrow,
If Beethoven coulda be with Kitch in Toco...*

Cause when Beethoven put he hand on ivory
was really fire sticks and steel was calling he
And when he create thunder
with Concerto in C minor
No,
Was really voice of Shango
and spirit of Mama d'Leau.
doh mind he didn’t know.
Was intro to man like he
name Boogsie and Ellie
Was bamboo and biscuit tin
awake inside ah he
Was pan, sweet pan
waiting for birth
Like new epiphany.

And when dey say that the man was mad
he fell the pressure we pan man had.
And when dey had clash fuh so
between Invaders and Tokyo
Ah swear to God, Beethoven did know!
He feel dey rage and dey blood flow
and mash up he own damn piano.

If Beethoven coulda know
that through his silence
he woulda hear a cello
If Beethoven coulda see
he woulda weep to know
he had brothers like we
And if Beethoven coulda been
with Phase II on de Barber-Green
woulda be a merge of steel and string
when dat mad man do he ting.

So although it have horn fuh so
in Oveture from Fidelio,
Though in Sonata we hear
violin and oboe in we ear
And by all means bless,
piano, string orchestra in all their
'Europeanness'
I know that in he soul,
Beethoven is a pan man,
Yes.

* Reference to Trinidadian Calysonian Lord Kitchener

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