I try to sound this old, familiar tune.
The starting measures state a simple line
That I can softly pick in time but must
Confess a mess in the middle. I stretch
And slip, then resume, but have missed the beat
And have to hope the hearer fills the notes
I fail to find.  Then as the finish nears
The strain instructs, da capo — from the head —
Return, repeat again where it began,
And glad to hear the line I thought I knew
But now with something more from all between
I listen closer here and feel a choke
This time that hurts but hones the heart to hear
And hold the value of a chord that’s true.

 

Copyright (c) 2020 Samuel Hamer

Samuel Hamer is a practicing attorney in Minnesota. He earned degrees in physics from Wheaton College and in law from Harvard Law School. His occasional poetry considers themes of faith, doubt, and family. Sam lives with his wife, Naomi, and three boys near Minneapolis.

Photo credit: Photo by Scott Gruber on Unsplash