Three poems
Opera
For the opera
tonight my heart is dressed in fitted black —
a mournful and desirous
type of gown that Callas would have worn,
for music is untouchable,
and stages are pandemic-dim,
but I’m still so in love…
I remember my first Met performance —
twenty-one and tortured
by the body language of a Verdi song.
I longed to pour my self into
the lips of starry arias —
tasting all their poetry and sugar. Heat
rising from the summer nights of New York City
made me question why I’d ever leave
when a voice could burn so wild, so clear —
if passion could survive my fears.
Opera singers
Like other mortals,
we singers have our gods:
those ghosts of greats who came before us.
Even when the room is empty,
eyes are felt like gravity
that’s weighing down
like burdened clouds —
like my decisions and indecisions.
With heavy velvet eyelash curtains
these ancients crush with just a blink —
though still we sing,
must sing
and sing
and
Piano
On stage
they tell me that they really see me.
To be seen is what I wanted.
Right?
All ivory, polished, keys sung-open?
No —
few know the strings inside
are forged in fire,
shadowed, veining,
nourishing the heart
that does the real singing.
“Most of the time, even when I go to sleep, I’m thinking about legal problems, but when I go to the opera, I’m just lost in it.” – RBG
These poems are, in part, inspired by the life and legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Not only was she a hero for women’s rights in the United States, but she was, perhaps, the most prominent and passionate supporter of American opera. She was very much beloved by the singing community and rarely missed an opening or closing night at the Metropolitan Opera in Manhattan. She was the type of loyal aficionado known to even attend dress rehearsals.
During this pandemic my heart breaks for the performing arts that are immensely struggling around the world. Many theaters have closed their doors, and incredibly talented artists are having to redirect their careers just to survive. In difficult times we turn to the arts to help our spirits through, and I fear for their ability to recover, when it was already challenging enough to find funding pre-pandemic. Supporting your local theater organizations that foster the artists of future generations is more important than ever before.
Writing and photography by: Katy Claire Funke
This is “Addio del Passato” from Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata (the song I reference in the first poem). Seeing this production live at the Met was an unforgettable experience for me. In this performance, one of my favorite sopranos, Anna Netrebko, sings the role of Violetta. This aria is sung when she realizes that she is succumbing to tuberculosis and she is mourning the loss of her future with her love, Alfredo, though she doesn’t want anyone to cry for her. Currently, Netrebko is in the hospital with COVID-19, but is thankfully on the mend. ♥️
This post is beautifully composed in its poetry and expressiveness; I hope collectively more people will consider contributing to the recovery of various art forms in future.
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Thank you so much, Nick. I really appreciate your thoughtful comment. I too am hopeful that more people will understand the importance of contributing to the arts ♥️ Hope you are well!
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Advocates for the arts and creativity such as yourself Katy should rightly inspire people, I would hope. Through positive actions can result positive change, and the arts are in need. P.S I’m good thank you 🙏🏻 and hope you’re very well too 😊
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Katy… Every time you blow me away with your talent 👏👏👏 These are exquisite. I have a number of friends in the arts and they are struggling so much, your words on this topic hit home.
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Thank you so so much! 🥰I so appreciate your sweet comments. I’m glad that you enjoyed these. It is an unfortunate reality for the arts right now… hoping for the best 🙏 Hope you are well! 💕
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Enchanting poetry Katy, and such a beautiful operatic performance which brought a tear to my eye. I would love to have heard Callas sing. Such a shame that for now ‘stages are pandemic-dim:’ but you bring them to life with posts such as this – thank you for sharing!
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Thank you so much, Ingrid. I really appreciate your reading and encouragement. I agree, It would have been a dream to hear Callas sing in person. ♥️ Hope you are well!
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What an amazingly beautiful post! Your poems are the voice of passion and love for an art form which is the perfect art-form. As a lover of Opera, I concur. It will be an awful lost if theatre is lost because of a pandemic…I can’t believe we are really living through this. I recall many evenings in NYC, going to the theatre, or to Lincoln Centre and then strolling downtown for dinner…great post and thanks for the memories, Katy, and all the best!
Francisco
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Thank you so much, Francisco. I always appreciate your encouragement ☺️ I agree, I can’t believe we are living through this… Even the Met just announced its closure for the next year. I really hope the arts can recover and I’m glad that I could unearth some fond NYC memories for you. Hope you are well!
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Thank you Katy, very much, although the news is not encouraging, things are returning to normal little by little…I trust God and I know this will pass. Take good care and keep creating 😊🌹🙏🏻
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You have a wonderful talent, not only because you write wonderfully, but also because you sing like an angel. 👏🏼🌻
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Thank you so much, Roser. That is incredibly kind of you 🥰 I am so grateful for your encouragement.
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❤️❤️🌸🌸❤️❤️
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Truly and deeply beautiful. And I never knew this about RBG. She was an amazing person.
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Thank you so much, Nico. That means a lot. 💜 She certainly was.
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Blessings. 🙂
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Your Piano poem is excellent. It deserves to stand alone.
I’m a big opera fan too. My favorite production was one of The Magic Flute with futuristic, bad sci-fi style costumes.
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Thank you so much, Bartholomew 🥰 I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the piano poem. I also love futuristic renditions of The Magic Flute. It makes for a perfect space opera!
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Lots of wows! You always have such a fresh and unique way of saying things. This writing is just magical and inventive. I love this part: “for music is untouchable, / and stages are pandemic-dim, / but I’m still so in love…” “Opera Singers” stood out to me, too. I was gonna say which parts but it was all of it. All your words are lovingly and carefully put together. Great, great work!
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Rarely does a day go by where I don’t think, “I really miss her poetry.” Never have I come across a writer who can express the heart of the feminine with such purity, revealing her beauty.
Yes, saying these things are selfish of me. I’m sure you are doing well and off living your life the way you want to live it. No other writer has caused me to feel like something is missing in my life because it is lacking the expressions of such a beautiful heart whose expressions cause my own heart to sing, putting a genuine and real smile on my face each time I experience them.
I know, I’m being selfish but I just wanted you to know that your expressions are sorely missed.
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