19 Jun 2015

A very grown up thing to do




  
At lunchtime, at certain times of the year
At the job
I walk over to the main building and
Stand by the side doors of the great hall
Stealing minutes of the day like
Stealing silver pennies

Inside there
Sit many young people
Well
Younger than me
Rehearsing orchestral pieces
The cello and viola sing and the
Brass plays and
The baritone
Blasts out some Strauss
Or some such

I peer through the glass
Hidden from them
Observing their herculean efforts
And I recall my college days
Drinking
Smoking
Sleeping
Working my ass off for
Not much reward

These kids here
Now
Have a focus
And a calm way about them
And seem quite grown up
In comparison to those days
   more than 20 years ago now

And
I close my eyes as
The cello and viola sing and the
Brass plays
Delicate and strong 
And the sounds they make
Balance out my world
If only for those few
Minutes.