Music

 In the mid-morning sunlight on this June day,

A hatless bald bass player stands,

In Old Town Square, Prague,

Tuning his instrument.

As he begins to play an eight year old girl

With serious eyes puts a coin in his upturned hat,

And stands awaiting his music.

A Cellist joins him.

The two musicians softly introduce an old warhorse:

“Ode To Joy”.

A French Horn and two Viola’s join the music-makers.

Our serious child is now part of a growing audience.

As the opening notes are being repeated by twenty

Casually dressed instrumentalists, a choral group

Forms a half circle behind the orchestra,

And children of every age stand entranced.

One young girl climbs a street-light pole

To gain a superior view, as two little boys

Compete with the conductor,

Waving their arms, and occasionally leaping, to the swelling sound.

While a few souls attend to their shopping

Those who hear, really hear, and see this performance,

Are lifted by a memory or a dream

To a place where, for a few precious moments, all is joy.