Believing  

by Oormila Vijayakrishnan Prahlad

seated at the old Bechstein,

I play Louis Armstrong

amidst the mess hall clatter

of cups and spoons

tantrums and moans,

humming in my head -

‍‍‍trees of green,

red roses too,

I see them bloom,

for me and you.

she steals up behind me,

a living husk

her mind long bleached,

gathering the bulk of my hair

in a coal knot

clenched in a manacled grip

against her breast.

perhaps my mane sparks

a ruptured memory

of something pleasant,

her laughter like a xylophone,

is peppered with mumbling,

slowly dissolving to sniffles.

a carer runs up, apologising,

loosening her fingers

gently freeing my hair,

as the tension in my scalp subsides

the barks and groans grow loud

the room slumping on my shoulders

leaden and godless,

and I keep playing, believing,

Yes I think to myself

What a wonderful world.

* * * * *

 “Believing” is based on the author's experience as a volunteer pianist in a home for the elderly.

Oormila Vijayakrishnan Prahlad is a Sydney based artist, poet, and pianist. She holds a Masters in English and is a member of Sydney’s North Shore Poetry Project and Authora Australis. Her recent works have been published in Red Eft Review, Glass Poetry Journal’s Poets Resist, Eunoia Review, Underwood Press’ Rue Scribe, The Maier Museum of Art’s Journal of Ekphrastic Poetry, Plum Tree Tavern, and The Rye Whiskey Review. She has poems forthcoming in the Rat’s Ass Review. Oormila regularly performs her poetry and exhibits her art at shows in Sydney.