Old Lady Taking Piano Lessons

Parkinson’s riddled, tremor dominant, Old Lady taking piano
lessons. Making no progress, butchering chords, sharping
the flats. Practice does not make perfect.
 
Persistent Piano beckons her back time and time again.
“Come, give me another try. So what if Forte forgets or
gnarly Pinky finger rebells. You know you can’t resist my
charms”
 
She falls for that same line over and over. There is an
unexplained attraction between them, actually more like a
love hate relationship. Surprising moments of joy as if she
belongs to the music but more often concerns of Piano
torture by her own inabilities. Piano squealing and
whoopsing. DO RE ME LA FA TE SO
 
What keeps her coming back? One day she understands
how Piano longs for its soul to be touched with music from
any source, Like someone who gladly embraces a small bit of
Joy when the alternative is dark silence.
 
Her intention, her sincerity, her missed notes and her oddball
brain create sounds of Joy for Piano. Fractured notes
floating away with no worry of imperfection
Like Old lady taking piano lessons

Used by permission of the author.

Carol McClenahan

Carol was diagnosed with parkinsons in 2010 and only recently began to write poetry. She credits Wayne Gilbert with encouraging ...more