Tag: music

Audience of One

On By Piano girlLeave a comment

As the sky
Blends
Pink with
Bluish gray
And daylight
Begins to fade
A chorus of
Creatures
Greets the
Approaching
Darkness-
Frogs croak
Birds whistle
Crickets chirp
The whir of cicadas
Although hidden
From view
Their songs
Surround me
An audience of one-
The moment
I consider
Closing
My eyes
To listen
Closely
A gaggle
Of geese
Appears
Overhead
In perfect
Formation
Their voices
A final chorus
In this evening
Serenade

I wrote this poem a couple of weeks ago. It was one of those rare cool summer evenings. Tonight brings cooler temperatures once again, and along with it, the first hints of Fall. I wonder what those creatures think of that? 😉

Waterfalls

On By Piano girlLeave a comment

Silence is simple
Or so I thought
Best to keep
Feelings
Intense
Hidden
Fearing
If spoken
Out loud
They might
Become an
Endless
Roaring
Waterfall
Of emotion
Drowning myself
And all who
Approach
Might is the key
I suppose
It can’t see
The future
Nor can I
And waterfalls
Though powerful
Are great teachers
Inspiring
The heart
To open even
In the face of
Apprehension

Earlier this week, I sat down to play the piano. And So It Goes by Billy Joel was one of my choices. It seemed to stick in my mind for the rest of the week. So, this morning I read the lyrics and wrote from the line that stood out.

My silence is my self-defense.

Piano, Kelley Morris

Scenes from School

On By Piano girl2 Comments

Scene One

The cafeteria during kindergarten lunch. Twice this week, as I’m assisting with lunch, I hear the following -”Hey! You’re the music people!” “Yes, yes I am!” Nothing like The Village People. Well…

Scene Two

Kindergarten music class. “Hey, Music Teacher! I have ten kittens. I want to give you a kitten!”

Scene Three

Same as above, except at kindergarten lunch. Same sweet boy. ❤️

Scene Four

Talking with three 5th graders about self-control and being leaders. One girl says to the side, “Cute outfit!”

I’ll take it! But probably not the kitten. 😉

There are more, but I’ll stop there. School is exhausting. Kids are funny and sweet, grumpy and angry. But they are kids. I’m working to find the best in each day with them.

Music helps. 🎶❤️🎶

Never a Straight Line

On By Piano girl11 Comments

Out of Body by Need to Breathe was my Friday morning drive soundtrack. I love this album-every song. I have listened to it many times.

That morning was the start of the last day of the first week of school. I was exhausted. My music choice was intentional. I wanted to have the same energy from my previous two days of teaching. Not an easy task.

The song Hang On was playing. It is high-energy, fun, encouraging. As I sang along, one line stood out like never before.

So hang on to the light in your eyes and the feeling. Hang on to your love drunk original reason.
And all these things I’ve learned, it’s never a straight line.

Uphill
Downhill
Around
A curve
Sometimes
A guardrail
Sometimes not
At the onset
My destination
Seemed clear
The plan
Clearly
Mapped
Things look
Different
On paper
Detours
Construction
Roadblocks
Caused confusion
Second-guesses
Until finally
I realized
It is not about
The destination
It is about
The journey
And the best
Journeys
Are never
A straight line

Time to Breathe

On By Piano girl3 Comments

Notes
Rests
Sound
Silence
Working
Together
To make music
Pleasing
Not only
To the ears
But also
Body, mind, soul
And yet,
One key
Element
Is often
An afterthought-
Silence
If not
Savored
Disappears
Transposing
Sweet melody
To mere noise
Leaving
No time
To breathe
No time
To sing

Favorite Songs

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No memories
Of my own
With which
To compare
Only descriptions
Heard in
Favorite songs
Until now…
Driving thru
Stockbridge
Lennox, Lee
Witnessing
The greens
Shining
Dreamlike
In the Berkshires
Quaint towns
Connected by
Winding roads
Surrounded by
Rolling hills
Under blue skies
And moonlight-
Each one holding
Its own history
Of joy and pain
Both personal
And collective-
Places once alive
Only in songs
Now alive anew
As music and
Snapshots are
Forever forged
In my mind

Peaceful Resolution

On By Piano girl15 Comments

My mind
Can hardly
Separate
The words
From melody
Notes rising
And falling…one
After the other
In seasons of distress and grief
Can you hear it?
I silently sing
The phrase
As I write-
Many times
It has entered
My thoughts
Unannounced…
Waiting for
A phone call
Sitting in a
Hospital room
Driving to
A funeral…
The music repeats
Easing tension
On the last note
The last word
Of the new phrase
My soul has often found relief
Listen closely
A peaceful
Resolution
Sweet hour of prayer

Sweet Hour of Prayer Kelley Morris, piano

Perfect Frame

On By Piano girl2 Comments

Head Back
Looking up
Patches of blue
Splashes of white
Visible thru the
Rectangular grid
A work of art
Ever-changing
As the wind
Rustles leaves
In my periphery
Then gently
Cools my face
Music flows
From speakers
Perfectly placed
Behind my head
I listen-looking
Again, at the grid
Then close my eyes
A negative of the
Image remains
Imprinted on
The insides of
My eyelids
Smiling, my foot
Quietly taps along
With the beat
Chair rocks
Back and forth
Every muscle relaxes
Underneath this
Perfect frame
I open my eyes
Once again to
The changing view

Lost in Thought

On By Piano girl4 Comments

I was a little grumpy when I got home yesterday. The reasons don’t matter. But any little thing seemed to grate on my nerves. As my frustration rose, I suddenly had a thought. Why don’t you go to the other room and play your piano?

I don’t know why this solution doesn’t appear faster in my brain.

Sitting down at the piano, I opened one of my favorites, Schumann’s Scenes from Childhood, a beautiful set of short pieces. The first few I played didn’t fit my mood. Then I landed on Reverie. Just what I needed.

After playing it several times, I became curious about the original German title-Träumerei. Reverie is the translation in my edition, and I wanted to make sure my ideas matched the original intent. One definition said, “pleasant reveries, daydreams.”

I got lost in my thoughts, listened to myself play, then wrote this poem. I felt much better. 🙂

Reverie

Staring out
The window
Dreaming of
Sunny days
Even though
Today is gray
Running free
Through a
Golden field
Of sunflowers
Rolling
Without
Reserve
Down a
Grassy hill
Walking
Innocently
Hand in hand
Along a dirt road
Daydreaming-
Time well spent
Lost in thoughts
Energy renewed
Before heading
Back to the now

Reverie from Scenes from Childhood by Schumann Kelley Morris, piano

Voices

On By Piano girl6 Comments

One song
A song from
College days
Simple melody
Powerful message
Tempted to quote
You the lyrics or
Start singing
Even though
I haven’t heard
It in years-
Somehow it found
A hidden corner in
My memory banks
Locked itself away
Patiently waiting for
A chance at revival-
Today was the day!
Music rolled in
Like a wave-
One voice
Singing in the darkness
All it takes is one voice–
Okay, okay
No more lyrics
Only these words-
My voice matters
And so does yours

Have a listen… 🙂

https://youtu.be/s7bv-Vn1_gw

https://music.apple.com/us/album/one-voice-digitally-remastered-1998/194640131?i=194640481

I wrote this poem during a recent poetry circle event with Ali Grimshaw. ❤ Learn more here: https://flashlightbatteries.blog/