Mother, piano, and me
At the Piano by James Whistler
It was a much simpler time, isn't was always
Mother would play showing me the notes
Hearing them build into a song
The songs were all moral imperatives left from a previous time
All seemed black and white then
Before
Even my dress and my shoes resembled the black and white keys
We had recently returned from church where
Father had spoken on the power of God to condemn
If we did not repent from our sins
Everyone sang the hymns in black and white on the pages
All had shook his hand at the end of the service
And said what a great shepherd of the flock he was
God's word was surely within him
I was happy in Mother's company then
Before
That same hand that the sheep all shook
That
God who was within him
He used that hand, he entered me
My mother just played on
Those times
Before
When mother and I would play at the piano
When all the colors in the paint box were black and white
Are the times that I'd lost and that smile is gone
As well as the notes that she'd played