The Simile by Ian James Cohen - read by Sir Cliff Richard

Sir Cliff Richard is one of the best selling music artists of all time. (Over 250 million!) He’s the 3rd top selling artist in the UK, behind the Beatles & Elvis Presley. He’s had countless hits, including Devil Woman & We Don’t Talk Anymore. His song Move It, with his band The Shadows, is considered to be Britain’s 1st authentic rock & roll song.

The Simile

i have resisted simile
for too long

now i am left with this

the bow
sliding
against the strings of the cello
emitting the voices
of every angle
of human

it is like the stench of death at treblinka
it is like the appearance of first touch in infancy
it is like the threat of genocide (again) in eastern europe
it is like the songs of laughter everywhere in stickball laced american streets
it is like the put to rest of loved ones in far away graves
it is like the science of cry
it is like the alchemy of eye contact

like this
the cello is the only worthy simile
like this
this is why i’ve resisted simile for all my life
like this
the cello tugs at the human strings of the universal cord
like this
the cello is the conductor of eye and heartbeat
like this
the cello will outlive us all

Ian James
The Bronx
10/25/99