March 1: Composer Frédéric Chopin's Birthday

Chopin at 25, by Maria Wodzińska, 1835

March 1, 2013 --  Frédéric François Chopin, Polish composer and virtuoso pianist, inventor of the instrumental ballade,  widely considered one of the greatest Romantic composers, was born March 1, 1810.   From 1837 to 1847 he carried on a love affair with the French writer Amantine Dupin, aka George Sand. For most of his life Chopin suffered from poor health; he died in Paris in 1849 at age 39. [Source: Wikipedia]

CHOPIN AND SAND

for Frederic Chopin, 1810-1849

by Austin Alexis

A man coughing up blood

on a white keyboard.

A woman taking care of him.

A woman adding a man

to her case, her collection

and at last having something to do,

a person who becomes an activity.

He lives in her shawl.

He lives on her shelf.

She frowns, afraid he might chip

or crack in two or scar.

He lives in her nest.

She is all leaves.

She is plenty of twigs.

His fingers sing for her;

they chirp; they fly.

She is the maple his claws grip,

the branch he needs

in order to soar.

He desires her as she longs for him.

They are as far apart

as petals of a single rose.

This poetry selection is from Austin Alexis's book, For Lincoln & Other Poems (Poets Wear Prada 2010), and also appeared in Chopin with Cherries: A Tribute in Verse, edited by Maja Trochimczyk (Moonrise Press, 2010).

 

For Lincoln & Other Poems
by Austin Alexis
ISBN 978-0-9841844-3-9 

Perfect Bound, 34pp.
List Price: $10.00

Poet Wear Prada: March 2010
Available at Babbo's Books
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Brooklyn, NY 11215
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And on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Other-Poems-Austin-Alexis/dp/0984184430/