Television; scenes of violence, bombings, sounds of gunfire, people running to shelter from horrendous attacks.
We see it 24/7 on cable news, no escaping it as we sit safe in our homes and watch as a world away lives are lost, freedom trampled by those who value nothing but power.
At the Ukrainian/Polish border in the midst of this horror, you see the video of a man sitting at a piano, playing not in a lounge where people sit, sipping martinis, and politely clapping when he has finished. His stage is a border crossing, his audience a flow of refugees, asylum seekers, people fleeing unprovoked violence, the worst humanitarian crisis that we have ever seen.
He’s the piano man. The man who chases wars, conflict zones, painful protests, and plays for peace. His music gives hope and comfort, if just for a while, to those who suffer. In Afghanistan, Paris, Istanbul, Donetsk, Minneapolis, his stage knows no boundaries. He pulls his well worn baby grand piano equipped with wheels, a peace sign emblazoned on its side, using a motorized bicycle.
At this border he plays in the cold; coat, hat, fingerless gloves, a battered barrel with a fire for warmth, as dispossessed people huddle close and listen to something they remember. He gives a little hope to human life that now must deal with pain and strife. He invites them to play with him; they do, young and old alike. It gives a short reprieve, a breather as it were, to those who desperately need it.
He is the piano man who found that there was something that he could do.
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Author:
Bella Shepard (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: March 7th, 2022 11:08
- Comment from author about the poem: I've watched painful images of the attack on Ukraine on CNN, and last night in the midst of this there was a video of Davide Martello playing his piano at the Ukranian/Polish border as refugees streamed across. It gives hope!
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 22
- Users favorite of this poem: Paul Bell
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Comments5
I also saw this spectacle on the news and I was truly astonished. The way this man showed such sympathy for others as if a symbol of hope. Well done on describing it and I hope peace will come soon!
Thank you so much Rocky. As I watched it there was a lump in my throat, but hope in my heart.
"Lump in my throat, but hope in my heart" Described so well! Hey, maybe it can be a poem starter! 😅💖
Thank you for putting that smile on my face.
Incongruities often bring issues out of focus into focus. To notice the incongruities in life is one way of expanding our vision. An interesting write.
Thank you so much for your insightful comment!
Sort of reminds me of the Titanic when the orchestra played on till she sank. Hopefully he gets to play again in better times.
Thank you Paul, What a great analogy. Appreciate your insightful comment.
sadly, the world today needs more piano men .. a timely and most poignant observational prose if ever there was Bella x
Thank you Neville for reading and commenting. I appreciate your kind words, so glad that you liked it.
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