When I arrived at the hospital To play piano for cancer patients I was led down a corridor As silent as an empty church
The very air seemed frightened As I sat at an
ancient keyboard Hoping I could improvise A song to turn back time
But as my music drifted Past
the chambers of the dying I watched each door close slowly By some hidden, haunted hand
And when I left
I wondered If all I did was wound them By making them remember How much they loved the world
Richard Schnap is a poet, songwriter and collagist living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His poems have most recently appeared
in the Pittsburgh City Paper, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Calliope and forthcoming in Curbside Splendor.
Bird's Eye ReView, 2008-2011. ISSN 1945-2802
All rights reserved.
