BACK IN YOUR HEAD by TEGAN AND SARA. Poem by PJ GROLLET.

Monday, September 6, 2021.

Fresno, California.

when I get a little scared

 

a nighttime vigil took place

in the cathedral of my soul.

Laura, a writer, and a little boy

were seated with me in the pews.

 

Laura didn’t stay long; I saw her

briefly before services even began.

 

the writer however, stayed for

the entire vigil. he brought

several of his books with him.

the guy wrote books as if he was

making a cup of coffee. I flipped

through the pages of a philosophy

book, another on history and

a book of poetry.

 

after the vigil the class started

but because the little boy

arrived late to services

and wasn’t registered, the

instructor said he couldn’t attend.

 

the teacher was steadfast but

I insisted and eventually the

instructor allowed him

to stay.

 

this benefitted everyone

because the boy was a

concert pianist; he played

exquisitely for the entire class.

a piano was located at each end of the

auditorium and somehow, the

boy played the two at the

same time.

 

I had to leave early to go find Laura

but before I left, I walked up to the boy

and told him his music was divine;

I was proud to have him with me.

 

as I left the auditorium to

begin my search for her, the

background music playing in

the hallway was the Tegan and

Sara song that goes, “when

I get a little scared, when I get

a little scared…”

 

Stereo Stories #680