A Poem by Bryan Damien Nichols

Music Weaves the World Together

To suffer the calculus of things
And to find, after the movements,
That you envisaged poorly--
          It's the remainder too often found.

To find what you haven't sought, to seek
What you'll never find, to see that what
Was sought would never be found and
That what was found would never be sought
Because it was the only thing to be found--
          It's all as common as clay.

But then, with friends, there's a Thursday night.
It feels like confetti falling.  You see
A girl and a boy, young and feral, on one
Blue-drenched stage wrap guitar and bass
Into a harmony like colored cords into
A necklace.  Their voices are like wheels turning,
You say to your friends.  And they agree.
Here, for you and for others, the euphony
Of song is stronger in its turning than despair's
Inertia.

To find something other than dread, other than fear--
          It's as common as clay.

Because someone else's music
Often weaves the world together.

Bryan Damien Nichols was born in Houma, Louisiana, on August 30, 1978.  He earned a B.A., summa cum laude, in Philosophy from Baylor University, and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.  He has practiced law both in Houston and in Texas' Rio Grande Valley.  Bryan currently lives in Los Fresnos, Texas, with his loving wife, Michelle.  Bryan is best known for the poetry he writes through his two heteronyms:  (1) Kjell Nykvist; and (2) Alexander Shacklebury.  These two hereronyms were featured in Bryan's debut poetry collection, Whispers From Within (Sarah Book Publishing).  In this new collection, by contrast, Bryan writes in his own name, and explores numerous themes and issues that are important to him personally.