One of Those Moments
Decibel fizz. Equipment failure
at karaoke night and
we were left with the hoarse voice
of a lady smoked too many cigarettes
before she quit ten years ago
singing along with her friend
who can carry a tune
but is a little drunk and mostly laughing and
Now that we’ve segued from
karaoke
into
a capella
we’re in uncharted territory
never before seen here at
this modest hangout bar and now
unasked
the duo is singing another selection
belting out the tune
as if they were in a bandshell and
orchestra-accompanied
and guess what heaven help us
we are all clapping along
2/7/19
Claudia McGill Writes Poetry, Did You Know That? 
Ha ha! There is definitely something infectious about karaoke. I am not sociable enough to go out to bars, even pre-pandemic, but I used to enjoy spectating karaoke in my youth. The people who are just slightly off are often more entertaining than the people who are actually pretty good singers. I did, however, once have to listen to a man performing ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ that was just so painfully, excruciatingly bad that I cannot even here a few notes of that tune without it triggering a negative feeling.
I’ve never done or attended karaoke in person, just seen it in videos and so on, but, I think just once I would like to try it, and I would be that person singing Girl from Ipanema off key and with great verve, and people might cringe, and I might think it a great moment in my life. I think right there, we have the essence of karaoke, maybe? I am also thinking of a train trip I took where we were stopped on the tracks for about three hours and somehow to pass the time some passengers and the conductor ended up singing show tunes. A great memory.
Off key singing with gusto is par for the course with karaoke and is actually – I believe – more fun that someone who is actually a decent singer. The chap I described was singing not just off key but also off in every way it is possible to be off. I actually cannot describe it in words. I will say that I admired his confidence and enthusiasm and he certainly gave a memorable performance.
Your train ride sounds like a real life musical where everyone spontaneously bursts into song. I have only experienced that once – when I was teaching creative writing actually – and it was joyful and magical.
Yes, on that trip, the train was going from Pittsburgh to NYC via Philadelphia. We were stopped thirty minutes out of PGH for all that time waiting for track problems to be solved. There was a group of about 10 ladies who were going to NYC to see some shows. The conductor got to talking with them and next thing you know they are singing. Others joined in, not me because I didn’t know the songs, but you are right – it was joyful and magical.