Samuel Miranda

Three Lessons Lawrence Wheatley Dropped on Spanish Joe

The Lawrence Wheatley stare.

Eyes behind sunglasses shouldn’t intimidate,
except they do. Especially when attached
to fingers that stroke a beard in a dark club,
then bang out the history of the piano.

Lawrence Wheatley on his out-of-tune piano.

My fingers may play an out-of-tune piano,
but my ears always hear the perfect note,

not the notes you hear coming from
an out-of-tune piano.

Lawrence Wheatley on recording.

Why should I?
Come hear me play.
I’m sure to play something you’ll remember.

Samuel Miranda is an educator, poet and visual artist who makes his home in Washington, DC. His work has been published in the anthologies Knocking on the Door of the White House: Latina and Latino Poets in Washington, D.C., Full Moon on K Street: Poems About Washington, DC and DC Poets Against the War. He develops and facilitates interactive poetry workshops for youth and adults and holds an MFA from The Bennington Writing Seminars. To read more by this author: Five Poems, Vol. 6:2, Spring 2005.