I Used to Be in a Band

He was the crack
and I was the pipe

and these strings would act
like the flint in a light. Oh,

how fast those fingered
nights would fly.

In the old place, these nylons sang a tingle
every time the train rolled by,

but we’ve moved since then
and now it’s so cold in this case

that I can’t even swindle a shiver
from these hand sanded sinews.

This fretless neck leads to a head fat with frets
that I’ve plumb played my last set.

How long have I laid
un-played in this velvet lined case?

The man who made me
used to leave a kiss on my bridge

and then whip out a cotton wipe
to wisp the lip-prints away.

The longer I lay here, the more I feel like
the ass that never got a goodbye.

Christian Anton Gerard, originally from Indiana, is currently living in Norfolk, VA, with his fiancé Lucy and their two black cats.  He is working on his MFA at Old Dominion University and adjusting to life without clearly defined seasons.