Standing Ovation

The guitar sits on its stand in her meditation room, which is quite ironic as the rock and roll that it has embodied over its lifetime, lies in contrast to the state of calm and tranquility that this room now holds.  It is an awkward juxtaposition of her need to pick it up and sing the songs of her former band in the room once inhabited by her musical prodigy son, where he homed his craft for eighteen years, leaving phantom sounds and rhythms in the walls and carpet, and her resolute desire for silence and contemplation.

This Ovation’s hollow body resonates sound as the strings vibrate to the slightest movement from this old house that brims with one hundred and thirty three years of history, maybe musical, maybe prayer. It longs for its constant companion during the band years, the Fender Strat, to sit beside in the quietude, perhaps to shake things up a bit, create mutual vibrations, orchestrated by this old creaky house.  Then send both guitars into harmonic bliss, calling on her to listen, pick them up, place fingers on frets.

It wants to be heard again.  The Ovation longs for her to caress its steel strings into life one more time.  After all, it was she who took it out of the basement after it was manhandled and broken by her son’s friend.  She angrily declared that this was her property, not to be touched by anyone else.  It was she who brought it up to her room where it stood by the dresser in its case for four years.  It’s there so I can play it when I want, she announced to her family but secretly as a calling to her own desires to get back to her musical roots.

It recalls her words repeated every few months or when she sees an old band mate.  Let’s put the band back together, man! One step at a time.  First it came out of its sturdy shell and now sits in its stand in her meditation room.  Its pleas are no longer muffled inside the time worn case. It knows it’s just a matter of time. The Ovation waits patiently on its throne, staring at her in defiance of the conflict between sound and solace, assuring her in soft resonances that it can provide both.