I figured I’d be nice
Strum first
And listen to what you said
Learn a few chords
And practice fingering until
I could get a smile and
Then work my way up to
Some harmonies.
That was the plan.
Within a few weeks
I would be able to play
Something simple but
Holding promise of more.
I worked hard
When there was opportunity
To move from one chord
To the next smoothly
Keep it natural, I thought,
And not too obvious.
If you seem to be struggling
You can forget it …
Unless, of course,
You can make that
Seem charming
But no. This time
I wanted to be the
Hero minstrel
And when I left
The stage men would
Root up their hair
And women claw
Their faces for blood
And they would all wail
Madly and weep for days.
I even practiced holding
It coolly yet still so
I could reach my fingers
To the far frets seeing
That to be the key
To getting you to agree
To put purpose
Between us.
At the actual farewell
Party they said O
She couldn’t
Her aunt’s in town.