Jeanette flexed her fingers,
aware her mother
was sitting on the sofa,
her critical eyes and ears alert,
aware Benedict was also there,
beside her mother,
a guest, reluctantly
of her mother.
Play the Schubert
you have been practising,
her mother said.
Jeanette stretched her fingers,
feeling her mother's eyes
were on her, her ears alert
for notes missed,
too fast or slow.
She sat comfortably,
placed her fingers
over the keyboard,
brought her mind to bare
on the Schubert piece.
Benedict sat and gazed
at Jeanette's waist,
the structure
of her slim back,
how her dark hair flowed
over her shoulders.
He didn't know
Schubert from Mozart
or if it was fast or slow.
Jeanette began.
Her fingers moved
as the brain dictated.
Her ears acute
for tone and timbre.
She wondered if Benedict
was gazing at her.
She imagined his breath
on her neck as he had
that time she played him
the Beethoven piece
in the empty classroom,
his hands around her waist,
and still she kept
the piece going.
Slower here,
her mother said,
the tone's slightly off.
Benedict recalled the kiss
on her neck in class that time.
Lips on her soft skin,
but still she played
with eyes closed
as if she prayed.
Sep 20, 2018
Sep 20, 2018 at 4:29 PM UTC
Jeanette flexed her fingers,
aware her mother
was sitting on the sofa,
her critical eyes and ears alert,
aware Benedict was also there,
beside her mother,
a guest, reluctantly
of her mother.
Play the Schubert
you have been practising,
her mother said.
Jeanette stretched her fingers,
feeling her mother's eyes
were on her, her ears alert
for notes missed,
too fast or slow.
She sat comfortably,
placed her fingers
over the keyboard,
brought her mind to bare
on the Schubert piece.
Benedict sat and gazed
at Jeanette's waist,
the structure
of her slim back,
how her dark hair flowed
over her shoulders.
He didn't know
Schubert from Mozart
or if it was fast or slow.
Jeanette began.
Her fingers moved
as the brain dictated.
Her ears acute
for tone and timbre.
She wondered if Benedict
was gazing at her.
She imagined his breath
on her neck as he had
that time she played him
the Beethoven piece
in the empty classroom,
his hands around her waist,
and still she kept
the piece going.
Slower here,
her mother said,
the tone's slightly off.
Benedict recalled the kiss
on her neck in class that time.
Lips on her soft skin,
but still she played
with eyes closed
as if she prayed.
A girl plays piano for her mother and boyfriend 1962
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