Heather Neale
the piano poem 
ethereal toes press gently onto mahogany surface
fingers tickle ebony skipping stones
to a squeaky Chopin rhythm,
and delicate knees, like staccatos, bending and folding
to the ebb of a tidal pool song,
emanate off coast lines, serenade like waterfalls
in the key of A minor.

her elbows pirouette around sanded edges
cry out with hunger, rattle off riffs
that resolve with dissonance
like cows lowing in moony forlorn

and just then
at that moment in 4/4 time
her ivory hands begin
to tell the tale of
boy meets girl, boy leaves girl
her piano heart broken, suspended in water
she floats
box springs wound tightly in pain
sea weed wrapped around mahogany legs
disguising chipped ivory dreams

© Copyright 2003 by Heather Neale

Heather Neale is a Vancouver-based freelance writer and co- founder of Pandora's Collective Outreach Society. She is presently working on a novel, several anthologies and is the editor of lululemon's online magazine, "luluzine". In her spare time, she can be spotted playing piano, dancing salsa and hosting two of Vancouver's poetry open mics.