NOT IMPRESSED BY GERRITCORN

By Ben Greenman

from forthcoming collection, as yet untitled

The three movements from Gerritcorn’s “Horse Latitudes” rather disappointed James. He had not heard them before, but from the gyrations of the press following the work’s premiere in Seattle he had been led to expect something much more profound. He knew the rich origin of the phrase. Sailors took a portion of their pay before embarking on their voyage, and they had to work for free until their debt was paid. For those coming west from Europe, this month of debt generally expired in the subtropics, and the moment was marked by the throwing overboard of a horse-shaped effigy. James felt strongly that the idea had echoes in nearly every aspect of life. But the line drawing on the front cover of the program played out the story with more feel than the musicians on the stage. He did take note of one oboist, a young man of about thirty, whose shock of red hair was visible even from the back of the hall. He and this young man were each holding secrets from the other. The young man did not know that he was James’s son, and James did not know that the young man was a murderer.