Drinking Alcohol taught me how to fly
Then it took away the sky....

Monday, September 1, 2014

MARIA (and the art of violin playing)

The following actually happened to me about 15 years ago while "entertaining" in the Alzheimer's Center of a Naples, Florida Retirement Community  



Google Images (Sorry, Cannot find attribution)


MARIA

Only her pale breathing told of life. 
A very old--but not aged--
beautiful head permanently bent
had closed completely that space 
between eyebrows and breast

Belted in a chair with wheels, 
she no longer sensed 
what, where, how, when, or why.
Communication to or from her brain
might have been evermore lost.

I knelt on carpeted floor, 
arranged myself so to gaze 
into her face. Nothing there. 
Talent with which I'd been blessed,
I felt a strong need to share.

An aide said, "Take your violin and play
for those who can hear, enjoy, rather than
one locked away inside herself forever."
Truth is, I lost the strength to raise 
myself up from carpeted floor.

The room hushed! Softly and slowly I played a
sweetest Ave Maria--Holy Mary!
Sitting on that carpeted floor,
I looked (up) into those now-blue eyes 
and caught the beginnings of a smile.

While playing, I stared and smiled at her. 
Tears began to flow, hers and mine...onto thick carpet. 
Later someone told me that she had not responded 
to ANYTHING or anybody for many days.
She began to finger her gold-chained cross

It was a God day which I shall NEVER forget.

Steve E
2014


16 comments:

  1. ... so moving, Steve ... i know cuz maybe i was there when u where there cuz we are all in this together ... right? Love, cat.

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  2. Your violin cuts through the 3-dimension, and reaches her inner self.

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  3. ...you have the gift of reaching people. Really, you do.

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  4. Heart warming- we just never know what we can achieve until we are willing to try!

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  5. Such a heart-warming story, Steve. Music is powerful medicine, isn't it?

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  6. Oh dear! I'm in tears! What a heartfelt story, you do have the gift to reach out to these souls!
    -Doris

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  7. what a beautiful connection you made between her and you with your music...and for a bit
    she felt....smiles...dang it my tears are mingling just a bit now as well...smiles...

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  8. Music is perfect healer ... beautiful day it must be Steve :-)

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  9. What an unforgettable experience...it gave me goosebumps ~ Good for you to bringing a smile to her face ~

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  10. Thank you Steve for directing me to this. Especially since I work there now. I hope you get this comment. I'm not sure I am doing it right. Why does it have the "Comment as: and then there is your name? and other ones - but I can't see how to put my name. I tried to "Join your group" but it said I had done it under my Yahoo account, but that didn't seem to work either. So much to learn!

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  11. oh what a blessing you've been for her steve... i love that you were able to reach her heart with your playing...

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  12. Now you can add my blog to the list you are following and maybe others will follow mine, too.

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  13. Oh wow, that is totally awesome!!! What a wonderful gift you gave her.

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  14. Wow, what an experience. Well done to you Steve for sensing what her sould was crying out for.love and understanding!

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  15. Healing .... Such heart warming Poem, Steve .... have a beautiful day ahead ... Smiles!

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