there was a scratch in that record, and it was by far the least classy or popular of her collection. it skipped a lot, and sometimes it just repeated itself over and over again. but, it was her favorite, scratches and all. it was the one that sat at the top of her bookshelf, rather than in the cabinet with all the other records. it was the one she played before a big audition, and the one she played before a solo recital.
it had been her favorite since she was little, just a child prodigy on the rise. it was her lucky record, the one that made her music sing so gorgeously across a concert hall. it was the reason she could stand onstage so confidently, her body swaying and her eyes closed, as she swung the bow back and forth across her strings, painting a masterpiece of colorful notes and pitches. it was the reason she could play anything on the spot - a silly little jig to dance back and forth to, a singing opera to watch in awe, a pop song to impress teenagers.
it wasn't even classical music, and not even violin. it was a silly little song by the name of "papayas", and there was only one version in the entire world that had been recorded. it was by her aunt, a quirky latina woman who her father's brother had married. they had an epic love story, of romeo and juliet proportions, with a fairy tale ending. she'd been a freelancing musician, singing a silly song about papayas with her ukulele, dancing like she didn't have a care in the world. she'd left her ukulele at the business party her uncle was at, and then he ended up looking for her and returning the ukulele. after that, her aunt finally recorded the song with the ukulele and gave it to her niece for a birthday present.
and now that niece was a world-class violinist, who listened to a song about papayas everyday, even though the record was scratched and worn. Because, sometimes, the best things in life are just a little broken.
. . . . . .
and that, my friends, is how you wrap up a story about papayas.
if you haven't read it, check out the poem "ukulele" that's also in this book. it's one of the earlier chapters. it's kind of the prequel, i suppose.
thanks for reading! vote, comment, etc. and thanks for #247 in poetry! you guys are awesome!! ^^
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Poems - because words can be beautiful
Poetrypoems - because words can be beautiful === The more serious and less traditional of a duo of ongoing poetry collections. It's other half is shallow and your simple rhyming book. This one is just a pile of thoughts and emotions on a page, not rhyming...
