Of the pieces written for The Planets, Opus No. 32, Mercury is the lightest and filled with fluid movement.

Mercury, The Winged Messenger
by Michael Romani

Close to the sun in its molten ball swirling
Unable to escape the orbit in which it's whirling
Mercury, the Winged Messenger jokes in joy
Like a minuet of madness that the gods employ
Lightly laughing notes played in scherzando
Until they reach out in their wafting crescendo

Like Icarus daring so close that it might melt
Into echoes so preciously invoked and then felt
A fade into whispers tickling the ears until faint
Dazzling in a brilliant heated stroke of glowing paint
It fades until the message cannot be but in silence
Standing guard between the peace and the violence

Though worlds apart there is a thin line of difference
Distinguishing love from hate and war from peaceful diffidence
The diffidence felt by the gods deaf to mortal man
In all his silent pleas for hope and doing all he can
That this world, Earth, might one day live it's peace
The best of Pandora's Box enjoyed in its release

(c) April 20, 2017 Michael Romani