A girl on the stairs listens to her father br Beat up her mother. br Doors bang. br She comes down in her nightgown. br br The piano stands there in the dark br Like a boy with an orchid. br br She plays what she can br Then she turns the lamp on. br br Her mother's music is spread out br On the floor like brochures. br br She hears her father br Running through the leaves. br br The last black key br She presses stays down, makes no sound br Someone putting their tongue where their tooth had been.br br Carolyn D.