Personal Blogs

The Beggar

At the Saturday market

Among the children playing,

A man holds 

A violin.

Beautiful instrument

Nothing non-descript about it.

It shines, gleams,

Plenty of catgut,

More than enough horsehair.

He scapes away with the bow,

Fruitlessly,

Among the fruit stalls,

For he cannot play -

He has no idea how to play - 

This beautiful instrument.

And I think of

Yitzak Perlman and

Bruch’s violin concerto.

The violin case,

Set open on the ground for offerings,

Is empty

No one stops

To give undeserved alms.