You want the high lonesome brought down to earth—
the value of gold, devoid of its worth.
Like herbless reggae, or atheist Bach
like love without romance and time with no clock—
it’s smokeless jazz without the snap
buried treasure without any map.
It’s Andean flutes without the coca
Moon with no shine—ni vida, ni loca . . .
You can’t have your culture without the Gospel
like rain without water, it’s simply impossible.
You can’t keep the tree without having roots
or gather a harvest without the fruits.
So get the hell gone with your atheist bluegrass
lest someone imply you’re an unsaved jackass . . .
CONNECT/HOOK 
I won’t mention names but virtuoso performance without the intended purpose, or with a whiny emotional substitute, leaves me cold too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good point – and it holds true across many genres of music. Bluegrass does not seem to be helped by innovation either. I tend to dislike so-called “newgrass”. Only traditional style moves me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I actually do enjoy the music and the amazing instrumentality of some of the new, but it’s sad when the lyrics don’t effectively connect with the evocative music.
LikeLike
Superb poem. “Moon without the shine” is a sparkling-fine phrase! (Not that the other phrases weren’t.) Excellent work.
LikeLike