Songs in the key of E

The piano player comes to the stage, the lights dim to silently announce her presence. The intro is softly being played. Right at that moment, the bass player, plugs in and begins to softly chant the base line. Sweet undertones to a perfect duo. The crowd can feel the energy building, and in that instant the singer approaches the stage. She fixes her dress and picks thru her ever growing and flowing afro and approaches the mic.

“This is a freestyle ya’ll…so don’t judge me.” She boldly proclaimed with conviction as she clenched the microphone with one hand. And after a 4 count intro, she began to belt out a song that sent a piercing chill thru everyone in the crowd. The words were:
“This is not gonna be another sad, depressing love song
I’m not gonna talk about what you did to me
I’m not gonna shed another tear for you
Not gonna slit my wrist, because I’m afraid that the blood will stain my new St. Johns blouse
Nooooo, I’m not gonna talk about the chance after chance I gave you, and how you still didn’t get the point.
Ohhhh nooo, I refuse to discuss the extra that you put me thru, not gonna be a victim to you.
I’ll just pretend with a smile
I’ll just pretend with a smile
I’ll just pretend with a smile…….so every time my picture is taken, I’ll look like I have it all together, BUT, in reality I’m a mess. I low, down, sad mess.
But I’m not gonna shed another tear for you
I promise, I won’t.”
Her voice was so powerful, you could feel every, single word. I saw people jumping up and down; and some shedding buckets of tears. I saw some put their heads down as though the singer was speaking to them directly. Regardless of the varied responses, everyone was feeling something. You could see that the singer had been thru some things. You could sense her pain…but most importantly you could sense that music, art, was her release.
The music went on well into the night, and not a soul complained. One broken guitar string, two snare drum sticks snapped in half, two hoarse singers, one trumpet mute damaged later and we were still singing, yelling and crying. It was as if God him/herself came down and anointed the place with supernatural energy to carry all of the burdens, pain, broken hearts and disappointments away in His chariot of art. The music cleansed the souls of everyone there. The weight was lifted without a single word. A work of completion was finally done. The singer then, as though she could feel all of the negative energy dissipate into thin air, stopped singing abruptly. She dropped the mic, smiled and vanished into thin air.


When I grow up…I want to be just like her.