Piano Pieces

upstairs the hammers of a piano stomp through a tune mechanically unwilling fingers prod at a well-known student piece a small scottie dog appears wearing a tartan coat a light hibernian them rings in my head later a young child joins me to sit on the house stoop I ask her if she likes clementi the look in her eyes warns me never to inquire again the dog is huffing melodically as it takes a dead composer for a walk a small-scale baby grand joins us sniffs at the little girl – growls then runs up and down the sidewalk looking for someone to play with