What would music be
without the unwrapping
of a fire red candy

what would Al Compas
del Corazon be
without the rustling

of the nylon
without the striking
of the match

when he sings it Raúl
Berón is twenty-two
now he is not

what would music be
without the clandestine
whisper

what would it be
without
Keith Jarret’s moans

without the Köln
in the Köln concert
what would anything be

without the distant cough
of someone
no longer with us?