Wednesday, 26 February 2020

Mercury, Wandering Star


Having been partially deaf since the age of four, I am not as avid a music fan as I might have been otherwise. Even so, a friend persuaded me to accompany him to a Queen concert once and I have to say it was a truly, unforgettably, enjoyable experience, not least for the sheer magnetism of Freddie Mercury; a  gay man, he oozed charisma .... generating adrenaline in audiences around the world  to last a lifetime, and in any subsequent posthumous consciousness.

Now, Mercury, as you may well know, is one of the five planets known to the ancients. They called these planets "wandering stars." Mercury may be seen as an evening "star" near where the sun has set, or as a morning "star" near where the sun will rise. ... The planet is named for Mercury, the Roman messenger of the gods. (ref. Wikipedia.) 

It is so true what they say about music and entertainment breaking down certain social taboos, especially where homophobia happens to be one of them.

The poem is a villanelle.

MERCURY,  WANDERING STAR

On stage, extrovert extraordinaire
masking a shy personality,
singer-songwriter beyond compare

Bringing to Rock, magic in the air.
a star valuing his privacy;
on stage, extrovert, extraordinaire

Fronting Queen with a talent as rare
as any in music’s history,
singer song-writer beyond compare

Winning hearts, minds everywhere,
no matter his sexuality;
on stage, extrovert extraordinaire

High on roll calls sounding anywhere
to rate the likes of Freddie,
singer-songwriter beyond compare

Bold icon of Rock, Supremo of Flair
and making music history …
On stage, extrovert extraordinaire,
singer-songwriter beyond compare

Copyright R N Taber 2019





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