Clarinet

Apart, we are two quiet things:
a person and an instrument.
I in my body,
the clarinet in its case.

We are like good friends.
The clarinet takes nothing away from me.
It lets me borrow its notes.

If I loan it my breath,
I can speak with its sweet voice.
Together, we will make a world
full of song.
 
A cartoon illustration of Buddha's face playing a clarinet in a turquoise background
Illustration by Rudy Gutierrez
 
Source: Poetry (March 2021)