Lily and the Pianist on the Locked Ward 1971.

One of the patients

on the locked ward

plays the upright piano

in the small lounge

her fingers move

over the keyboard

in frantic flight.

You stand

and listen

and watch.

A few others stand around

attracted by the sound.

A few days ago

she tried to overdose herself

but she was revived

and brought back

to the locked ward.

You listen to the sounds

frantic and sometimes

violent clashes of notes

fill the air.

You are mesmerized

by her playing

and the sounds

and can only stand

and childlike stare.

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

I have visited patients on a locked psychiatric ward, so I can envisage this scenario. In my mind’s eye, I could see her performance. Frantic and violent are both super descriptive words. What came through to me in this poem was sound. The sound coming from that piano, her fingers in frantic flight. I think I would have been mesmerized too. A visually striking ink.

Chris

[Terry Collett]

Thank you |Chris