The Old Woman and the Piano

On the curb of the alley she sat Admiring the old Steinway Noticing the worn finish and eyes focused on the ivory keys For years she played in the symphony Bringing an ethereal quality to each masterpiece She walked over to the antique Steinway and began to stroke the keys Crescendos and decrescendos and two part harmony The passersby were enraptured by her humble qualities A carpetbagger now with barely enough to eat Many citizens stumbled upon her private concert as she closed her eyes to play Rehearsing the most sophisticated sonatas As though this was a Carnegie Hall day At the end of her first performance As the imaginary curtains began to draw The audience of passersby began to clap their hands As her heart rate began to fall Her heart had grown discouraged over the years As she was replaced by someone younger She fell into poverty and deep depression and learned the song of hunger Her day was complete Her life came full circle As she played her last concert piece A band of angels came to collect her soul as her spirit was released There is a moral to this story of the old woman and her piano… Live each day of this life as you are strumming the ivories Of a magnificent concert piano Gwendolen Rix 10-22-14