Challenging Poetry

bum-pa-di-bum-bum-bah

once, while dreaming
through a music appreciation class,
sitting in the back of the room,
zoning to the professor's soundtrack
and the call of spring and the lack of sleep
that is part of most students,
he asked: what theme ties this
piece together?

and there was a silence, the kind of
hopeful, grasping silence that begs
to be filled, but no one wants to fill it
because there's only one answer
he's looking for, and the statistical
probability of finding that answer is slightly less
than just sleepily opening my mouth and breathing
out: bum-pa-di-bum-bum-bah, unfortunately
loud enough to be heard, and then everyone
is looking at me, with my eyes half closed
ready to laugh,

and the professor does, just a bit, a pleased laugh
and say's: that's right!

April 22—Variations on a theme