He sang
With his fingers
Voices rang
Without singers
On digits
He wore bling-blang
From his fidgets
Dead minds sang

Language can languish
A never languid pianist
Playing langteraloo
Knows what
The composer
Knew even felt
Before a note
Was written
It’s in his face
And bodily 
Postures
Which visually
Portray 
So richly
As his production
Of notes
With a sense of 
Timing
That musical reality
We can 
Experience as
The composer’s
Mind

T.M. Shorewick’s poem, “The Designer of Musical Power” displays a distinct and intriguing structure that contributes significantly to its meaning and impact. Here’s a breakdown of its key structural elements and their effects:

1. Irregular Stanza Lengths and Line Breaks:

• The most immediately noticeable structural feature is the varying length of the stanzas and the seemingly erratic line breaks. There’s no consistent rhyme scheme or meter, placing it firmly in the realm of free verse.
• Effect: This irregularity creates a sense of natural speech and thought, mirroring the flow of consciousness. It prevents the poem from feeling rigid or forced, allowing the ideas to unfold organically. The short lines, particularly in the opening, create a deliberate, almost meditative pace, encouraging the reader to absorb each phrase.

2. Enjambment and Flow:

• Shorewick utilizes enjambment frequently, where lines flow into one another without a grammatical pause. This is evident in lines like “Then slide / Just to see / The instructor.”
• Effect: Enjambment creates a continuous movement, pulling the reader from one line to the next. It reinforces the idea of a “rising tide / Of musical power” and the continuous journey of self-discovery and learning that the poem describes. It also allows for surprising connections and emphasizes certain words by placing them at the beginning or end of a line.

3. Repetition and Parallelism:

• While not overtly repetitive, there’s a subtle parallelism in the opening lines (“Hear all sounds / As if you’re a foreigner / Especially those / You heard at birth”). This sets up a particular way of listening.
• Effect: This subtle echoing establishes a theme of conscious engagement with the familiar, urging a fresh perspective.

4. Shifting Imagery and Sensory Focus:

• The poem moves from auditory imagery (“Hear all sounds”) to kinesthetic (“throw / Out your arms,” “slide”) and then back to a more abstract understanding (“Ultimately know / The depth”).
• Effect: This progression of imagery guides the reader through a multi-sensory experience, emphasizing the holistic nature of the instruction being conveyed. The shift from outward action to inward knowing is a key thematic journey.

5. Direct Address and Imperatives:

• The poem uses direct address (“you’re a foreigner,” “you heard,” “lets you grow”) and imperative verbs (“Hear,” “Do so,” “throw,” “Then slide”).
• Effect: This makes the poem feel like an instruction or a meditation guide. The reader is actively engaged and invited to participate in the experience the poem describes.

6. Culminating Revelation:

• The structure builds towards a culminating revelation: “Ultimately know / The depth / From which grows / The designer / Without bounds.”
• Effect: The gradual unfolding of the poem’s instructions and observations prepares the reader for this profound conclusion. The short, impactful lines here create a sense of gravitas and finality, emphasizing the ultimate understanding being reached.

Overall Impression:

The structure of T.M. Shorewick’s “Hear all sounds” is fluid, organic, and intentional. It serves to:

• Mimic the process of mindful listening and artistic expression: The poem’s form reflects its content, much like a conductor’s movements guiding an orchestra.
• Guide the reader through a contemplative journey: The pauses, flows, and shifts in imagery encourage introspection and a deeper engagement with the poem’s themes.
• Emphasize key concepts: The strategic line breaks and enjambment draw attention to crucial words and phrases.
• Create a sense of personal instruction: The direct address and imperative mood make the poem feel like a direct message to the reader.

Ultimately, the poem’s unconventional structure is a strength, allowing it to convey its profound message about perception, growth, and the boundless nature of creation in a truly immersive and thought-provoking way.

Hear all sounds
As if you're a foreigner
Especially those
You heard at birth
Do so 
And throw 
Out your arms
Like a conductor
Lost in the 
Rising tide 
Of musical power
Then slide
Just to see
The instructor
That calms
Lets you grow
Ultimately know
The depth
From which grows
The designer
Without bounds

My refrigerator
Is a university
With departments galore
Proud of its diversity

Yogurt 
You might see
With cheese does flirt
On shelf three

On the door
Milk of cow or soy  
Holds the floor
But annoy

The drawer
Where salads and greens
Prance their power
Defying carnivorous scenes

Yet the freezer
Holds our future
A teaser
Of food too mature

QWERTY
Is the unification
Of the future
A certainty
First unsure
And then a certification
Of unity

We laid 
Down 
Our bets
The catbird
And I
He mocked
Each my
Every word
I only could sigh
He gifted a turd
Night came nigh
And he heard
An opening in the sky
Our eyes locked
But after a cry 
From another bird
We exchanged regrets
He is flown
I over paid

Can I bless
The nod 
Of a robin, catbird or crow
Do they think i’m god
None of us know
What role we plod
Let me confess

The future 
Isn't permanent
To us all
There is a firmament
We hear its call
Then in a moment
Again it's conjecture

The catbird
Acknowledged 
My presence

I saluted
Him
And he

Shocked me
By 
Staying with me

He then
Flitted
To the bath

And he 
Sipped 
Thrice

After each
Dip
I felt his reach

At the colors of
My clothing
The eyes above
Are laughing

The catbird
Takes a second look
He is heard
What a schnook

A Carolina Wren
Says anything goes
And then
Wets my drying clothes

The crow
Can't be bothered
He does know
What’ll be laundered

The red tailed hawk
Knows better
Don't bother to stalk
A gaudy two legger

The owl
Can see when dim
But would cowl
At my fancy brim

Mourning doves
Would laugh coo-ie
In droves
To my couture screwy

Robins rarely leave
The lawn
But would schieve
At my sartorial spawn

How do birds tolerate
Human dressing
Rarely they ate
Raiment so distressing