The Sprites Depart Smiling

‘España, rhapsody for orchestra’ by Chabrier –
my father’s song, one day he brought home
a vinyl record with this lovely music and we
listened enraptured, afterwards played the
record over and over, never grew tired of it

The introduction is a promise of enchanting
things to come, the music an opening into a
new world, musical themes as dancing sprites
appearing and disappearing, calling on listeners
to follow, my mind leaves my body to go along

The melody tracing a spiraling dance in which
the sprites float high above the ground within
vertical circles moving forwards in a horizontal
line weaving new themes,  harder and higher
goes up while slower and lower comes down

All increasing speed to reach the ecstatic end,
a joyous last bow, my mind returns enriched
while the sprites depart smiling, all of us
breathless, satisfied with the dance that
has been...