It’s 3/4 time. I watch Mama walking to the car with a cardboard box and blow “Please stay!” The key is A minor. Trees and flowers sparkle hellos on a cobbly stone street. My fingers hold A then C. All the faces in the room look like mine and now I’m not alone. Long D. My voice is a hollow piece of wood and I don’t have to explain what I mean anymore.

A sun rises. My V chord opens its eyes. I hear my name in a whisper not a shout. G sharp. Mr. Sun smiles wider and food falls to me from his mouth. My fingers bounce on the dotted E. I laugh and have a friend; a lion from a flower that roars at rainy Sundays. A time to play in wet grass and remember they said I’d be safe. Descending to C.

A, B, C, B. Triangles and bells join and I have a family that listens. Staying in treble clef. Strangers smash my cobbly stones to sand and I can’t go home. Two bars and I close my eyes. They laughed at me; Mr. Sun never did. A high G. Louder. I’ll make them believe and it will all end.

I can’t hear myself. Nine counts. I can’t find Mr. Sun. Or the lion. A G sharp hides them away. In my solo I say I’m sorry again and the forte gives back my voice. The light finds me and says I’m a prince and I play for it all my love. It goes down and up. A stair of scales to reach him at the top. He blows away the clouds and the song fills his ears. Now my fingers dance. I’m happy.

Decrescendo. My friends are leaving. Five bars left. The flowers close. Four. Mr. Sun waves goodbye. Three. F sharp. No one tells me why. Last A. I hold it so the ones coming won’t see me crying.

It’s quiet. I don’t want to open my eyes and feel ugly again. I just want to play with the sun and dance in my Greensleeves, just my friends and me. Come back. Come back. Please hear me and come back.

(Rattling bell sound)

“Very good job everyone. You can put your recorders away and leave for lunch a few minutes early today. See you all tomorrow.”