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resonance

noun \ res·o·nance  \ ˈre-zə-nən(t)s , ˈrez-nən(t)s

1.) the intensification and enriching of a musical tone by supplementary vibration
2.) a quality of richness or variety
3.) a quality of evoking response
4.) the sound elicited on percussion of the chest
5.) a synchronous gravitational relationship of two celestial bodies (such as moons) that orbit a third (such as a planet) which can be expressed as a simple ratio of their orbital periods

 

we are such instruments
each of us, all
we sing our songs –
solitary melodies –
until a compatible chord finds us,
a rhythm and a groove
that matches the beat in our hearts

and not all of us pair well together:
cymbals drown the piccolo
and flutes fly past the bass
oboes cry what horns salute
and violins force the race

bird song, cricket cry
who can match this song of mine?

 

it’s not that the songs we sing
on our own
are meritless –
even a cappella is gripping
when sung true
but still…
still…

 

i play the cello.
and the strings are tuned in fifths
and when the pitch is perfect
you can draw the sound
from two strings
simultaneously –
two notes, intoning –

and a third sound – a vibration – is produced.

it’s not a note, it’s not a key
it’s a cry of astral harmony

 

isn’t that us?
so many things beyond our control
must line up to create that sound:

timing

tuning

tension

pressure

pulsing

pitch

 

but that third sound
that we are capable of making
by just being dulcet and different

together…

there is no sound like it in the world.

 

 

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