An Absence of Sound

She missed the tuning of the orchestra
And the way her heart pounded at the beautiful chaos
She missed the violins' lament and the cellos' dark cries
As they emptied their souls and
Vented their frustrations
To the one who bid them do so 

With only the fluid motions 

Of masterful hands



She missed walking down that darkened hallway
Listening to the disarray of music that surrounded her
She missed hearing musicians of every variety
As they methodically practiced or
Impulsively bellowed
From the stages they invented
To a captive audience
Invisible, but present nonetheless



But most of all...

She missed the feeling of cold ivory beneath her fingers
And the musical lines that rang out above the silence.
She missed the sound of hammer against string

With the thundering bass and

Singing melodies of the soprano
While she dreamed
Of long ago times
And faraway places