The Pianist
she entered the pearly opalescent venue
she entered the pearly opalescent venue
minutes before the orchestra
minutes before the orchestra
a lone window’s obvious curtains signaled to her,
a lone window’s obvious curtains signaled to her,
beckoning to closure,
beckoning to closure,
cacophony of Amsterdam Avenue
cacophony of Amsterdam Avenue
competing with the magnificence of this palace
competing with the magnificence of this palace
somewhere someone fastidiously tuned a violin…
somewhere someone fastidiously tuned a violin…
and as the room evolved into silence
and as the room evolved into silence
Diana lit the remaining sticks of sandalwood…
Diana lit the remaining sticks of sandalwood…
in another 45 minutes, tears would migrate from their ducts like refugees
in another 45 minutes, tears would migrate from their ducts like refugees
the sweet ebony Steinway stood regally,
the sweet ebony Steinway stood regally,
sentinel buffered on a hill
sentinel buffered on a hill
Diana could only think of her grandmother,
Diana could only think of her grandmother,
lost inside dementia,
lost inside dementia,
a frozen Buchenwald hourglass,
a frozen Buchenwald hourglass,
the last grains of sand
the last grains of sand
drip
drip
drop
drop
forming
forming
a rising pile
a rising pile
“I will play for Nana tonight”, she had decided.
“I will play for Nana tonight”, she had decided.
“Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25”
“Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25”
“After all, survival is all that matters”,
“After all, survival is all that matters”,
her delicate fingers somehow understanding
her delicate fingers somehow understanding
her 3000 year Hebraic thirst so very well
her 3000 year Hebraic thirst so very well