it starts without a sheet of paper
no key signature pinned to the margin
just an unexpected cadence
falling into the quiet
between two breaths
a simple interval
two or three notes low in the throat
gathering room beneath the ribs
until the ordinary air around us
begins to vibrate
some days it is a solo cello
drawing a bow across places
I thought were completely still
other days it is a piano
left near an open window
scattered staccato notes
catching the light
reckless and sweet
refusing to stay inside the lines
you do not memorize this song
it memorizes you
it loops through the noise
of morning traffic
the clatter of ceramic cups
the tired drone of the afternoon
threading harmony into places
that never knew they were silent
and when the world
turns down its volume
when the final chord
fades into night
the melody stays
anchored deep in the chest

a quiet reminder
that even in the dark
the music has only just begun