I pull the horse hair
across four strings
release, let her sing
she’s an angel bellowing
bound to a wooden cage
reverberate, undulate
the sweetest sounds escape
her death cry masquerade
my dear, sad lady
sacred honeyed harmony
melding mind and soul
in velvet melancholy
~ My Violin and Me
Words and photo © 2023 SamanthaBurgett
More: “Unraveling: Diary of a Healing Soul”
NOTE
I first picked up a violin in third grade and played regularly throughout elementary school and high school. For a time, I played with the local orchestra; the energy of playing among a myriad of harmonizing instruments was absolutely electrifying. When I married and moved from city to city for a while, my violin stayed in storage. Today, it needs maintenance before I can play it again (those fridged months in our first heatless room, humid summers in Indiana, and freezing winters in northern Michigan weren’t kind to my violin!). But the smell of the rosin, that reverberation beneath my fingers—these are feelings I’ll never forget. And one day soon, I hope to play it again.
10 Comments
FlowIntoWords
October 3, 2023 at 7:49 am“my dear, sad lady
sacred honeyed harmony
melding mind and soul
in velvet melancholy”
Wonderful poem, I especially love that last stanza. How exciting to start playing again.
Samantha Burgett
October 5, 2023 at 9:38 amThank you, I’m glad this one *resonated*, ha! Fingers crossed I can get her fixed this winter and get back to it. Thank you for your kind words! 🙏🏻
Pooja G
October 4, 2023 at 1:41 pmOne of my best friends plays violin and she’s really great at it although she doesn’t play it as much now that we’re adults and don’t have as much free time. It’s such a beautiful instrument although incredibly difficult.
Pooja G
October 4, 2023 at 1:42 pmHope you can play it again soon!
Samantha Burgett
October 4, 2023 at 10:46 pmYou’re so sweet, thank you! After this post, I’m feeling determined to get it fixed this winter!
Pooja G
October 5, 2023 at 2:09 pmHope you share some of your tunes with us!
Samantha Burgett
October 4, 2023 at 10:46 pmHey Pooja, that’s awesome! It truly is such a gorgeous instrument (though I’m definitely biased, ha). I know that struggle—I’ve hardly played since I moved out of my parents home years ago. Hopefully it’s like riding a bike and isn’t so bad when I pick it up again. (Fingers crossed!) And I hope you get to hear your friend play again one day!
Pooja G
October 5, 2023 at 2:09 pmYeah, I think with a bit of practice you’ll be back to playing it as you used to!
I hope so too but not anytime soon cos she moved to South Korea a few years back. But when I see her next I’ll ask her to play for me!
Bridgette
October 17, 2023 at 12:39 am“my dear, sad lady
sacred honeyed harmony”—so beautiful! You make me long for my oboe that long ago was gifted to a school when I stopped playing her. How I wish I’d never stopped. I can still remember the feel of the reed in my mouth and the thunder of the orchestra around me.
Samantha Burgett
October 17, 2023 at 6:19 pmOhhh the oboe has such a beautiful sound. And it’s so strange how smells can be memorable that way—I weirdly always think of the smell of my violin teacher’s fingers (he had to tune the pegs as I played). Thank you for sharing! (And perhaps one day you’ll play again too, you never know!)