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