the music of conversation

The music of conversation
begins, perhaps, with a warm-up
of small talk and treading lightly
in search of harmony.
We know the scales:
weather, profession, mutual friends,
and can whip them
from our pockets in an instant,
but the notes soon begin to flow
in more complex form,
weaving out of one’s vocal chords
and into the other’s eardrums,
invoking art, vivid splashes of color,
and the warmth of connection
blankets us both.
Carelessness, maybe, or comfort,
drops the reigns of the tongue,
and as suddenly as if the conductor
had been bumped off of his stand,
the music crashes into discord,
shattering to pieces at our feet.
Blue silence hangs between us,
and we part, in agreement
that it will be awhile
until the next performance.