There lived a man on Ol’Kin Lane
Whose name was Natsore
But I literarily called him Pianist
For the piano he could play.
Whose name was Natsore
But I literarily called him Pianist
For the piano he could play.
Now upon a day, so happy and fair,
A-jollying was I too
With several draughts of good old ale
To lose my tongue anew
A-jollying was I too
With several draughts of good old ale
To lose my tongue anew
Thus perhaps it was heard from my very own lips;
“Mr. Pianist is the greatest!
“He can play a tune, to make the queen weep,
“And birds think ‘twas the sweetest!”
“Mr. Pianist is the greatest!
“He can play a tune, to make the queen weep,
“And birds think ‘twas the sweetest!”
Alas! I knew not that in the winds
My words were carried far
Till they chanced upon an ear of the King’s
And did his good mood mar
My words were carried far
Till they chanced upon an ear of the King’s
And did his good mood mar
By morning light his emissary arrived
With words; “your hour is nigh!
“The piano must resound, the queen must weep
“Or you, foolish one, shall die!”
With words; “your hour is nigh!
“The piano must resound, the queen must weep
“Or you, foolish one, shall die!”
A fortnight hence, is all you have
To ready your “great” pianist
And then on your own must you appear
To live or embrace death’s fist.
To ready your “great” pianist
And then on your own must you appear
To live or embrace death’s fist.
And so it was that before my eyes
My brief existence passed
As I raced to the house on Ol’ Kin Lane
All bothered and sorely harassed
My brief existence passed
As I raced to the house on Ol’ Kin Lane
All bothered and sorely harassed
Oh wake, I cried, and your piano play
For you must understand,
That literarily speaking Mr, Pianist,
My life is in your hand
For you must understand,
That literarily speaking Mr, Pianist,
My life is in your hand
By day and night, with little rest
I became his household pest
Cajoling, weeping, kissing his hand
Till much annoyance he expressed
I became his household pest
Cajoling, weeping, kissing his hand
Till much annoyance he expressed
But, said I to him, “my sad conduct,
You cannot reprimand,
For literarily speaking Mr, Pianist,
My life lies in that hand”
You cannot reprimand,
For literarily speaking Mr, Pianist,
My life lies in that hand”
The D-day dawned with an eager crowd
To bear witness to my fate
All chattering, whispering, immune to my quivering
As I prayed to be spared death’s gate
To bear witness to my fate
All chattering, whispering, immune to my quivering
As I prayed to be spared death’s gate
As the music rose and fell with grace
Perhaps to make the soul transcend
I was filled with dread of death’s embrace
But then a miracle happened
Perhaps to make the soul transcend
I was filled with dread of death’s embrace
But then a miracle happened
In the skies above for all to see
Seven white birds in a “V”
In tune and gliding gracefully
To the music’s ecstasy
Seven white birds in a “V”
In tune and gliding gracefully
To the music’s ecstasy
“Oh what sight”, cried out the queen
In beauty’s splendor was she swept!
And all beheld as in divided accord
My queen and I… we wept
In beauty’s splendor was she swept!
And all beheld as in divided accord
My queen and I… we wept
Like you must have guessed, my life was spared,
As otherwise this poem unbidden
Surely today would not be heard
And would have gone unwritten!
As otherwise this poem unbidden
Surely today would not be heard
And would have gone unwritten!
Yet if someday I chance on any man,
All Curious about your talent?
Most literarily speaking my dear Pianist,
I will chose to be silent!
All Curious about your talent?
Most literarily speaking my dear Pianist,
I will chose to be silent!
Marilyn Maduka
March, 2012
March, 2012
