Sometimes when he was sitting
in the back bedroom,
staring at the flowers and the
shrubberies,
he would hear a high note
traveling through the window
like a rocket.
it subtracted 50 years
from his imagination.
he stood up like a Wagnerian hero,
his sword and spear
ready for battle.
he waited for the next note
but all he received
was one, precious, golden coin.
he wanted so much more
and so he allowed
his imagination
to travel back to the beginning
of music.
he looked into her endless eyes
and he was lost forever.

the first time he heard her sing
he knew that there was
something beyond special.
each time he heard her voice
there was a new color.
when she came back from Germany
it was as though
every part of her body
was taken out and polished.
her voice was so unusual
that listeners weren’t sure
what they were hearing.

impresarios wanted to use her
but she was a puzzle
they couldn’t comprehend.
they settled for someone
more
common.
after many years of hard work
she sang almost never
and only for friends.
she began to teach
because
she could hear the depth of
each voice
hidden within their souls.
the work she did with each person
took many years
but when it began to shine
the singer was filled with joy.
her students were unlike any
jewel ever seen or heard.

when they were asked about their
teacher, they would joke,
“Oh! I learned from a little
old lady who lives nearby.”
O—
“A magician who has no name.”
she was only known as a teacher.
her power was a hidden secret
her voice was a gift from Apollo

( for christie )