for Jane Burnes Leverenz
My hummingbird is my
German-made fiddle.
It barely says a word
but fiddle-aye-riddle-
It barely says a word
but fiddle-aye-riddle-
aye-day. The label
says The Chadwick London
Violin, but it’s a German-made fiddle.
says The Chadwick London
Violin, but it’s a German-made fiddle.
It coos like a turtle,
speaking from its spruce top,
but it says nothing but fiddle-aye-riddle-
speaking from its spruce top,
but it says nothing but fiddle-aye-riddle-
aye-day. It rhymes with
“pickle”
and “tipple”—speech never slurred
when hummed through my German-made fiddle
and “tipple”—speech never slurred
when hummed through my German-made fiddle
no, it drums paradiddles—
up-down, down-up, it whirrs
like a hummingbird singing fiddle-aye-riddle-
aye-day. My fiddle is my sibyl-in-the-middle,up-down, down-up, it whirrs
like a hummingbird singing fiddle-aye-riddle-
though what it says is a perfect surd.
My hummingbird is my German-made fiddle
singing fiddle-aye-riddle.
