Tuesday, March 07, 2017

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Post 1470. Tuesday March 7

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers



‘You’ve got no friends’ my father said. ‘You need a proper job’. There was no point in arguing. But my fingers were my tools, ivory keys my colleagues and composers my friends. As a pianist I earned little, but it paid the bills.

I cannot describe the feeling I had whilst sitting at my piano upon a stage, notes flying, gliding, hovering, diving. My audience flew with me. They smiled; sometimes they wept. I wept. Such is the power of music.

I played in smoky jazz bars too, a tot of whisky and a cigarette to hand. It was so different. There, my music competed with chattering crowds. They only heard me when I stopped! I played loudly they spoke loudly; in quiet pieces, they murmured. But I loved it.

Time took its toll on my overworked hands. I play little now. My piano sits ‘neath a dusty cover in the corner of my room. I occasionally play for old folk and sometimes stand in for the organist at my church. But music remains my constant companion, though now I consume rather than create. It will never desert me, never.




A story inspired by Mike Vore's picture at Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers



18 comments:

  1. I have chills. What a beautiful, bittersweet tale. I can't help thinking of Billy Joel's "Piano Man".

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    1. It hadn't occurred to me until you mentioned it. Cheers Darla

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  2. What a wonderful story, Keith! So sad that his age keeps him away from his beloved piano but it's great that music is still comforting to him!

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    1. It will comfort him until his final note. Thanks PJ

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  3. A lovely drift through a musician's life. Melancholy and uplifting at the same time.

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  4. old musicians never die they just fade like the last song they played, lingering in someone's memory, this was a lovely tribute to music, music men and their story.

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    1. ...There till the final fading chord. Thanks Gina

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  5. The portrait of an artist, as opposed to a performer....

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  6. This was a beautiful story, I liked that he could find value and pleasure in both concert performances and playing in a smoky bar. He knew the power of music and clearly it was still alive and well in his soul!

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  7. It's good that she followed her passion and can live out her days knowing she did and still have her memories of those days. Great story.

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