The Piano Is Not Firewood (Yet)

The Piano Is Not Firewood (Yet)

A Poem by Dana Alsamsam

I'll probably still think about you
On calm Sunday nights
Until the piano becomes nothing
But firewood to burn. 
Even then, the flaming vinyl
Will pull strings against my lips
And hammer my teeth into a smile
Through the flames. 

I grin along with the white keys
Because, like me, they know
That the cold got colder, 
And burning is merely a selfless compromise
To pull the music staves
Away from your long brown hair. 

The piano takes its last breath of Chopin
And a tear escapes the corner of my eye
Because just like you and I together, 
The music is most beautiful
Right before it dies. 

I wonder how many candles
You have to light in other people's
Bedrooms before you can return
And light your own without setting it 
On fire. 

I still write poems about you
When I walk along our path, 
but then again, I think I always will. 

© 2013 Dana Alsamsam


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Featured Review

You are a master of showing how the final chords of a love song finished hold it's last note in a sustained decay that denies a complete muting from the air you breathe. The section about Chopin and quality of love just before it dies is immeasurably beautiful Dana.

Posted 10 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

Dana Alsamsam

10 Years Ago

thank you so much! this is a moment i've always tried to capture and FINALLY my brain found the word.. read more
Astro

10 Years Ago

You're welcome. :)



Reviews

very very nice ending dana , so sweet , so suitable , so real , let me say it's the greatest end to a great work .. well done dandoneh :)

Posted 10 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

i have three exes...i still write poems about them, always will...

there was spark, a match lit at one time...and the memories still threaten to set fire to the curtains that with my words i try to close.

i really like "the music is most beautiful/ right before it dies"

reminds me of leaves in autumn...those that are just plain green like most every leaf, become so beautiful (like maples) just before they die.

and it is that way with people, with love...we appreciate it the most just before we lose them.

goodbyes are hard, when the candles are snuffed out, tears are shed.

but somewhere inside..the fire still burns.

Posted 10 Years Ago


Dana Alsamsam

10 Years Ago

the way you just reviewed this is poetry on its own! thank you so much for reading and tapping into .. read more
You always surprise me, which I suppose should mean I shouldn't keep being surprised....but I am. There is a delicate flow here that pairs nicely with the pain and even as a contrast to the string pulls and hammered teeth (love). That fourth stanza really is the kicker here, though...how do we get back to ourselves, how do we find the me again?

A few slight suggestions: firewood to burn and burning vinyl...I tripped over the double "burn" a little. And "because just like you and I being together" is a little cumbersome.....maybe drop the "being"? Not sure if you're open to tinkering, but if you are, those are the only two areas I'd look :)

CM

Posted 10 Years Ago


Dana Alsamsam

10 Years Ago

i'm definitely open to it, thank you so much! i find sometimes that i obscure images when my languag.. read more
The four stanza blew me away. It struck that cord that resonates long after the poem is over. Sort of like the hammer of a piano striking the right notes. That image you have there is so deep and mournfully beautiful in a way.

Also, the idea of the piano being firewood and the music that was made with it before that point was awesome. Actually, the title is what drew me to give this one a look. It has quite a unique magnetism.

Some writers write broken-hearted love poems without every really reaching the center of what they feel and what it means. You know, they don't play the right notes. But you did.

Posted 10 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

Dana Alsamsam

10 Years Ago

"Firewood" --Regina Spektor (if you're interested)
Clockwork

10 Years Ago

Thank you, I will give it a listen.
Clockwork

10 Years Ago

Its a great song, really strong lyrics. I like how you worked that line in even more now.
Hammer my teeth into a smile...I love that :) You've done a really masterful job of intertwining the various themes here, the music, the fire, the lost or philandering love(?)...it all comes together in an amazing and unique way...the music is most beautiful right before it dies...if only they were crescendos and not fade-outs...lovely work Dana :)

Posted 10 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

kublakhan27

10 Years Ago

Haha very true my friend...they can certainly be the toughest to take, and toughest to sink in...unl.. read more
Dana Alsamsam

10 Years Ago

i'm definitely becoming a fan of yours as well. yay for bonding writers!
kublakhan27

10 Years Ago

It's a beautiful thing :)
You are a master of showing how the final chords of a love song finished hold it's last note in a sustained decay that denies a complete muting from the air you breathe. The section about Chopin and quality of love just before it dies is immeasurably beautiful Dana.

Posted 10 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

Dana Alsamsam

10 Years Ago

thank you so much! this is a moment i've always tried to capture and FINALLY my brain found the word.. read more
Astro

10 Years Ago

You're welcome. :)
I love this... I play the piano obsessively, worship Chopin, and have run out of candles to light

Posted 10 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

Dana Alsamsam

10 Years Ago

I want to get the first few lines of the melody of Nocturne in C Sharp tattooed on my back with the .. read more
Exsanguination

10 Years Ago

Are you referring to no. 20 in C# minor?? oh wowww, that is my personal favorite right next to Noctu.. read more
you so naturally fill your poetry with precision beauty. just so lovely....

Posted 10 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

Beautiful imagery and clarified diction. You've brought to life a wonderful message in accordance with the cadences of a rare piano in the making. A fine read & write. Nice work. :)

Posted 10 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

Dana Alsamsam

10 Years Ago

thank you so much for your reading and for tapping into my words the way that you have!
"The piano takes its last breath of Chopin
And a tear escapes the corner of my eye
Because just like you and I being together,
The music is most beautiful
Right before it dies."

Wonderful stanza - This reminds me of...life. You hit a note from a time I don't forget... Excellent poem, and thank you for taking me back to my memory.

Posted 10 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

Dana Alsamsam

10 Years Ago

that's one of the greatest complements that anyone could give- that my words brought you back to a m.. read more
Emerald Seas

10 Years Ago

You're welcome, Dana :)
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467 Views
12 Reviews
Rating
Shelved in 2 Libraries
Added on June 19, 2013
Last Updated on June 21, 2013
Tags: romance, breakup, moving on, piano, music, firewood, smile, flames, fire, chopin, death, love, poetry

Author

Dana Alsamsam
Dana Alsamsam

Chicago, IL



About
"my brain hums with scraps of poetry and madness." i dance, write and play violin. i'm studying english and training in dance in chicago. i like spooky things, red lipstick, caffeine, punk/indi.. more..

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