By Charles Robert Lindholm
I PLAYED THE PIANO SOFTLY
TO AN OLD TIME GOSPEL HYMN
IT SEEMED TO BRING DAD’S MEMORY BACK
IT WAS A SPECIAL TIME WITH HIM
HE USED TO SING IN CHOIR
AND WITH A BARBER SHOP QUARTET
AND THOUGH HE DIDN’T REMEMBER ME
THOSE WORDS HE COULDN’T FORGET
HE KNEW EVERY VERSE AND CHORUS
AND HE STILL COULD SING ON KEY
AND THAT MOMENT WAS A MEMORY
THE LAST HE GAVE TO ME
HE SANG “THE OLD RUGGED CROSS”
JUST AN OLD TIME GOSPEL HYMN
AND I, STILL PLAY IT SOFTLY
WHEN I NEED TO THINK OF HIM
WE SANG THE WORDS AND THE MUSIC
AND AS THE TEARS FELL FROM MY EYES
IT WAS A MUSICAL ENDING
IT WAS OUR FINAL REPRISE
Copyright © 2017 Charles Robert Lindholm – All Rights Reserved
2-26-2017 11:50 p.m.
Inspired by an inspirational nudge from Miriam on TheShowerofBlessings
blog on WordPress.com in commenting on her post “The Tunnel of Music”
and the power of music and song.
“My personal experience with this was the last time I saw my Dad, about
six months before his passing. He had advanced Alzheimer’s. I was playing
through some old hymns and even though he couldn’t remember anything
he starting singing the words to those hymns just perfectly. The last one he
sang to my playing and my last memory of Dad was him singing
“The Old Rugged Cross”. How fitting, and what a wonderful memory for me!!!”
I used to lay in bed on Friday nights as a kid and listen to Dad playing the
piano in the front room. He played by ear and had a wonderful smooth
jazz type style of playing that was so soothing. I can still close my eyes
and hear him playing and singing sweetly! That memory always makes
me “Misty”.
Thanks again Miriam of theshowerofblessings for the Nudge!