Silent Night

Silent Night

Echoed through the house

Of the music teacher

Over and over again

Being played

By a 7 year old boy

Who's father

Had just shot himself in the head

In their living room

1 week ago

The young man

Told his mother

That he wanted to give up on everything he was doing

Except for

His piano lessons

He usually rolled his eyes

And sighed

At his music teacher

She had said

He had always been her most difficult student

But now

With the suicide

He was a mess

She taught him a few Christmas songs

Because

T’was the season

And the young man

Stopped her at Silent Night

He told his music teacher

That this song

Silent Night

Was the only song

He wanted to play

They played it over and over again

For 9 months

Way past Santa

Something about the song

Gripped the boy

And the music teacher said

That something about the song

Helped heal the young man

She said

The power of music

Cannot be captured with words

It’s something that has to be felt

Silent Night

Echoed through the music teachers walls

Over and over again

Saving

A young man

From overwhelming grief

It offered him

Some sort of relief

What a life this is

When music can heal us

And when art

Can save us.

-C.H.