I want to tour with Feist
and shoot pool with Van Morrison
I want to play bongos behind Rickie Lee
and scat with Ray Charles.
I want to jam with Brian Wilson
and tell Jagger to fuck off, mate.
I want to be reincarnated
as a troubadour.
A Dylan,
reluctant in my genius
A Waits,
guffawing at my fame
A Cohen,
transcending my gift
(until I’m broke).
But when I sing,
I disturb the atmosphere
Like the rasp of a …
The drone of a …
The atonal mash of a …
I still can play
“A Well Respected Man”
on the guitar
but it resists me
like a girl
who knows better.
The harmonica
whines at me
and pleads
it has a headache.
Muddy Waters
would take one look at me
and shake his jowls
and sigh from his gut.
I want to be reincarnated
as a troubadour.