Love's song

We see the return of Melanie (see #2) by a note that she mails to Lambert. She writes with a peaceful tone, though very specifically: "we went into a back room...we closed the door behind us...spent what seemed a good hour or so just kissing" (112). Melanie almost seems like a very manipulative woman, and although Lambert was not thoroughly swayed by the letter, he did write a new song, entitled "Book of Opening the Mouth", after receiving the note and having trouble with his new mouthpiece. During the rehearsal, more balloons appear, which catches everyone by surprise, especially Lambert. The band continues, and N. narrates about how Lambert's solo "had Melanie written all over it, beautifully, bewitchingly so" (117). N. also says how Lambert's new piece is not about the balloons, but this "book", which reveals to him the aspects of his life needed to revive his inner self. Yes, a very deep song, indeed.

The balloons become much more apparent, appearing many more times, both in real life or in someone's mind. As mentioned before, they rise from Lambert's new piece, "Book of Opening the Mouth", bearing the lyrics "I am he of the twice-touched eye, mouth, hand, my mouth is that of a newborn calf...Lips made, mouth slit, statuesque" (114). The balloons had essentially stolen the words from Lambert's mouth, and he's exasperated. Another balloon comes to N. in his dream, sneaking up on him. This one can be considered a unique example of the sort: "[it] crooned ever so seductively, 'Boo'... caressing the back of my ear like a lover's breath or a slowly blown kiss" (129). What kind of weird object would do such an action? There is definitely a huge unsolved mystery behind these balloons, and we have yet to discover why and what purpose, if any, they have in N. and his friends' lives.

~ Outside Reading #5

Mackey, Nathaniel. Bass Cathedral. Grand Rapids: New Directions Corporation, 2008.