Piano Fantasy

[Rod Drake]

Alexandra hated playing the piano, hated playing at recitals, hated her parents for making her.  Alexandra was a tiny, fragile-looking ten-year-old, a gifted piano prodigy, who felt very helpless and hopeless.  When not endlessly practicing the piano, as her parents mandated, she often daydreamed what she would do to her parents if she just had the power.  Her favorite vision was playing a piano with the keys made of her parents’ bones (the black keys being ones with dried dark blood on them; she smiled to herself at that touch), the piano strings their stretched-out nerves and their tongues the floor pedals she could step on repeatedly and so very hard. 

From the kitchen, her mother’s voice rang out, telling Alexandra to quite daydreaming and get back to practicing; didn’t she want to be the best?  Alexandra sighed and began playing the complex Rachmaninoff piece again, wishing she was playing it on her special personal piano instead of this Steinway.

[Jordan Torrey]

i'm glad somebody else wishes they;d been made to practice piano...   if i could play piano and sight-read, i wouldn't have to have a day job, and the nights i didn't have shows i could stay up late writing poems on 6S... 

i know so many people who felt this way, though, and love the darkness of this six.

[Joanna S. Attridge]

I like it!! You have to almost feel bad for the girl and her parents.

[Jadie Jones]

I love everything except for the second line. It's too straightforward and telling for this piece, which, as a whole is spectacular and creepy and stirring. Haven't we all had thoughts we hope no one ever ever finds out for fear they'll lock us up? I'm so glad we finally have a place to let them out :)

[Judy Thompson]

Only special minds think this way. Im glad you're on our side.

[Angela]

Ohh, makes you wonder, as a parent, what fantasies you might have provoked.

[Ron. Lavalette]

Hard to practice properly with your fingers balled into fists.  This is great stuff.   

[Kay Sera]

Rachmaninoff is the perfect composer for her to be practicing. So much anger.

[Mike Handley]

Visceral is right. Well done, Rod.

[Robert Morschel]

I am now soooo glad I let my kids give up piano.  "the piano strings their stretched-out nerves and their tongues the floor pedals she could step on repeatedly and so very hard"  - ooooh, that is very nasty and nice.

[Robert McEvily]

Rod, always a pleasure.  Visceral piece; really love it.  (I have mixed feelings though on a different, non-lit level.  I wish I'd been made to practice an instrument when I was young.  I'd love to be a competent pianist, or guitarist, or anything really...)