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Melodious Monk

 


Inspired by this painting 
by 
Evgenia Klimenko


She sits quietly listening to the sound of the train approaching. The brakes screeches as it gets closer. Her eyes set upon the man sitting against the cold tile wall of the station. He slowly and deliberately moves a tiny piece of cloth along the saxophone in his hands, marred with the scars of time.


She watches him as the smooth sound of a beautiful melody fills the station, dancing along the breeze that comes with each passing train. The melody fills her mind. She is acutely aware of his refrain transforming the station. She watches a scene of beauty pass before her. 

She tries to imagine the man's life before this time and place. Maybe he was an honorable father, with a loving family, or maybe, she thought silently, he once was a hero, a man who fought valiantly for what he believed in, a war or a cause. The man is quiet and hardened. He seems weary with a sadness behind the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Yet, he created alluring melodies created by a heart seemingly empty.

She approaches to the man lost within his music. She kneels. The man slowly raises his face to hers. He smiles a bright, elated smile. She starts to place her money inside the blue velvet case that housed his instrument. He placed his hand upon hers and gave her a pained, weak smile, as he nodded his head but once in affirmation at her kindness.

He places the rag by his feet as he finishes and closes his eyes. His ocean blue eyes disappear and his face becomes quiet. He is calm and imbues a certain serenity. 

She shakes herself out of her day dream. Is she projecting her own issues onto this man? Is his beautifully intoxicating song tell the tale of a truly happy soul. Or is it a plaintiff wail?


He was the music man with no name. She was a dreamer of memories for those who had stories that were never told.


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