Six Inventions after J.S. Bach

Contrapuntal Bliss
  Two-Part Invention No. 1, BWV 772

One starts, the other follows, they are never
apart for long, and nobody can sever
the tangled paths on which they romp and run;
their contrapuntal bond can’t be undone.
Although the solemn vows were never said,
what Bach has joined together will stay wed.

Pitched Battle
  Two-Part Invention No. 6, BWV 777

The conflict cannot be resolved: each rise
is countered by descent. Though each line tries
to see the other’s point—they switch positions—
the argument persists, and repetitions
make clear that no one wins, no one submits,
and no one minds this clash of opposites.

Vacillation
  Two-Part Invention No. 12, BWV 783

Stay where you are—trill prettily, but stay—
or wander wantonly, carouse and play.
Or can you be both resolute and brisk,
be faithful as you dare to take a risk?
Why not? Learn how to sprint, how to be still,
how much might tremble in a pretty trill.

Competition
  Three-Part Invention No. 4, BWV 790

“Here’s how it’s done: dip down, leap up, repeat.”
“Oh, I can beat that, and not miss a beat.”
“No, listen, friends, here’s how it ought to go;
I make it more seductive—lush and low.”
Three voices vie, each phrase gently debated,
the whole impeccably coordinated.

Late Autumn
  Three-Part Invention No. 7, BWV 793

Late autumn weeps—its rhythms nearly spent,
its pitches tracing arcs of discontent,
its woven colors muted but united
in intricate devotions unrequited.
Life, death, and splendor sigh in synchrony:
the season’s bittersweet polyphony.

Love Triangle
  Three-Part Invention No. 15, BWV 801

Perhaps three parts are really one too many:
of all these close-knit measures, hardly any
allow the voices to sing equally—
there’s always one who waits his turn to be
a part of this romance. While two hearts race,
a third marks time, left out of the embrace.