MISSA SOLEMNIS

We kept turning corners
as we chased the line's tail.
I was starting to feel like a teenager
waiting to get into a rock concert.
But these were older faces,
and there was a notable absence of police.
What event had drawn such a crowd?
None less than a free performance
by the New York Philharmonic
of a Missa Solemnis
to fill the grand spaces
of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.
How heavenly, indeed.
And the night, a summer's dream.
Like fools, we arrived an hour early,
or should I say, an hour late.
By the time we reached the Cathedral's door,
the only place left to sit was the floor,
where we joined the legions
camped and cramped
in apses and naves miles from the stage.
No more!
From hereon in,
I'll take my music on CD.
Or the occasional splurge
for genuine, overpriced,
paid-for seats,
waiting just for he and me,
right up front or
forget it.


© Ellen Azorin