Obetts, Candace

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AmaranthusVolume 1996 | Issue 1 Article 51-30-2013BedtimeCandace ObettsGrand Valley State UniversityFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/amaranthusThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Amaranthus by an authorizedadministrator of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact scholarworks@gvsu.edu.Recommended CitationObetts, Candace (1996) "Bedtime," Amaranthus: Vol. 1996: Iss. 1, Article 5.Available at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/amaranthus/vol1996/iss1/5Kerri Meyer Piano Lesson with a Three Year Old Crouched like elves on a too tall three-legged stool, the child and the cat both peer down into the new cave I have opened for them. The piano strings, the soul of this musical creature, are stretched Slgainst the cherrywood shell. The bassos, thick as twigs, stand in triplicate, and the treble wires--fine as the white-gold hair on the giggling child's head--so thin as not to be seen. Promptly I let fall my open palms on the keys, catching maybe eighteen of them and sounding cacophony, as painfully loud as I can manage. The cat has left the lesson. The boy hollers in delight watching the delicate felt hammers percuss, setting the strings to vibrating. This is how it works. I let him lay his fingertips on the wires: the pulsing tickles him, the sympathetic vibration weaves the music into his body. Candace Obetts Bedtime "Get in bed! He's home!" Flaxen hair flying, startled blue eyes, sheets pulled up around scared faces exchanging familiar aching looks. Unsteady steps, an acidic blur of words, each jolting syllable boiling. "I wasn't anywhere!" "I was alone!" "Where is dinner?" The clacking of plates, the friendly smell of an earlier meal. Silverware scraping, blunt stumbles. Safe snores and watery sobs. Grim faces ease, lulled by the melody of Mom tidying Dad's mess. 4 Amaranthus 

Bedtime

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Bedtime

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