37. Lyric Prank

#64Challenge

Inspired by Gary Snyder's poem "No Shadow."  Originally written February 27.


I spent yesterday introducing the idea of nostalgia in writing odes. What has left a shadow? a remembrance? We talked about Sherman Alexi's "Ode to Mixtapes," and how it was about wooing a loved one. When I asked them how they let someone know they're interested, they replied with DM, sending a handwritten note, telling the person directly, or a lyric prank.

The idea of the lyric prank was interesting to me -- sending words of a song with no explanation. The person on the other end has to figure it out. I asked Who has used the lyric prank?

Johnny said he had. I asked him what song?  He said, "I can't remember the title. It was an Elvis song."

I said, "Can't Help Falling in Love With You"? 

His face lit up.  "Yeah. That was the one." 

I asked, Did it work?

And that was when the emotion exploded across his face. "Yeah. It worked."