Saturday

Hush

My sister took piano
when she was twelve
and I was six.

On quiet mornings,
while the house slept
in silent seclusion,
she would float on muted feet
to an elderly upright
that stood in mother's parlor,
and practice Fur Elise
with hushed intensity.

I would sit still and small
in a faraway corner,
eating grapes off the wallpaper
in solemn contentment.

14 comments:

sam of the ten thousand things said...

I enjoyed this piece LetterShaper.

"she would float on muted feet" is an amazing line.

JohnB said...

were you even one to play, LS?

Bill Marantz said...

Hi Tammy,

I'm sitting here listening to George Gershwin (not his songs - him - I have an mp3 of a tape of some fairly recently discovered piano rolls) and thought I'd drop in say hello. And by one of those synchonicities that always happen to me the top poem is about your sister playing the piano. A lovely poem which, if I'm not mistaken, I've read before - surely you didn't eat the grapes from the wallpaper in TWO poems.) But I don't recall seeing the painting. Surely, you didn't paint it. It's astounding!

willie

Bill Marantz said...

Speaking of mindfuck - what's with this blogger approval shit? I'd forgotten about, or I wouldn't have bothered posting a comment.

beckyboop said...

Nice work, luv.

Prmod Bafna said...

Lovely piece of write and enjoyable imagery in words and image both! Thank you! :)

Fabrizio said...

Ciao

Nice lines. I mean, you could even hear the music, even if the music doesn't play.
That's magic!

:-D

Fab

Anand said...

eating grapes off the wallpaper, ah... that is such a brilliant, honest image...

JaneDoughnut said...

Great piece.

One thing I've always regretted is not sticking with piano lessons. Seems my Mom was right for once. ;)

o.flory said...

Simply beautiful..a perfect metaphor of the childhood.

Love it!

floots said...

a beautiful still moment

Anonymous said...

this paints a beautiful image in my mind...and the painting is lovely!

Lyrically speaking said...

That's great, reminds me of when I used to play the piano in my younger days...I was 8 years old. I didn't enjoy it much but I think I would appreciate it more now then I did back then

Rethabile said...

Poetic. I find no other word.