INSPIRE NATIONS

The Piano Man

You could hear it from 3 houses down, all day, and all night. You could feel the sorrow from a mile away, the sadness thrusting from her fingertips into the slick piano keys. If you licked your lips, you could taste the saltiness of her tears, and the snot dripping down from her nose.

Ask anyone, and they could tell you of her pain. Ask anyone, and they could sing to you her sad song, because she played it endlessly. So heartbroken. Lonely, she was trapped in her own world, speaking to the piano keys like they had been life-long friends. Alone, she sat on the old wood bench that creaked as her foot pressed the pedals of the grand piano, engraved with memories. Her heart sang effortlessly, tirelessly, and endlessly. There were no rests in her song, for she had no time to break. If she broke, she would surely die.

As the sun set, and families drifted off into the land of dreams, her fingers wore into the keys, her soul drifting away and into the stars. All of the little lambs, tucked neatly into their beds, dreamed of ocean waves embracing the sand, kissed by the glow of the moon and stars. On this beach, they'd see her, painting the sky with a soft, fragile melody, much like the sand dollars buried in the sand, or the shell that echoes the ocean. If you put your ear close enough, you could feel the chilly wind blowing through your hair, or the cold sand slithering between your toes.

If you closed your eyes, you could taste every note on your tongue, like raindrops against the pavement. Umbrellas melted away, leaving the world exposed to dance with the sorrowful cry, through puddles, and mud, to the blown leaves of the tall trees.

Decrescendo into a ritardando, her soul carried on to sing everything her heart had known. Once white keys now painted red, her last breath she took, with a broken end.

There once was an old man, who lived 3 houses down. You could hear him play from a mile away, so joyful, so blessed, on a bright sunny day. He played all day, and he played all night, singing of the birds in the tree, to the homes of the bees. Sweet as honey, he'd play for thee, a song of the heart, so happy and free. Together, he'd sit on the new bench beside his daughter, inspiring her dream, to someday be like the piano man.