Thank you very much for the permission as well as for your kind words!
I put your poem on my website at: http://www.sawlady.com/poetry.htm

I will put it on my blog as well soon.

Much appreciated,
all the best,

Natalia

Please free to reproduce the poem however you wish – or even to modify it, adapt for performance, etc. – as long as I get credit as the originator (and a link back here if it’s online ). That’s the plain-speech translation of my Creative Commons licence down there in the footer. But I do appreciate your asking, and I’m very pleased (and a little surprised!) that a poem on a subject about which I know so little appeals to an expert in the field.

I have actually checked out your blog once before, following a link from somewhere or another, and spent an enjoyable hour reading your stories from the streets. I thought the writing was top-notch. So I’m doubly honored by your favorable review. Thanks for stopping by.

Thank you for writing this poem!
I collect poetry about the musical saw on my website http://www.sawlady.com/poetry.htm
I would like to ask for your permission to put your poem there, please (of course with copyright credit to you and a link back to you).
My website has become a resource for musical saw players around the world, and I believe sawists would appreciate your poem very much.

I particularly relate to the line “There’s a sweet spot, the street
musicians say, & they find it in you” since I am a street musician myself. If it’s OK with you, I would like to put your beautiful poem also on my street performing blog http://www.SawLady.com/blog where I sometimes feature poetry about street performers (again, with due credit & link to you, of course).

Thank you very much,
all the best,

Natalia (a.k.a. the ‘Saw Lady’)

Rachel – I don’t know if I’ve heard that album or not; I’ve been exposed to a lot of Waits by various friends over the years. I’ll keep an eye out for it. I have the deepest respect for his ability as a composer and arranger.

“The harsh / amens of service” and “where the heart might be / systole and diastole in perfect balance” and “deliverance / from lumber” and then that kicker of a last line — !