'twas the weekend before Christmas

[Phil Bondi]

and all through my house
not a thing was stirring
except for the computer mouse

The stockings were hung
the presents were bought
The schedule completed
..or so I thought

6 days before Christmas
3 days before Sunday
yet another phone call
"Good Afternoon, Phil Bondi"

"Phil, This is Lucy
"Hi Sweetheart How Are You?"
"When Can You Get Here?
Our Piano Is Over-Due".

"It has a Broken String
and the pedal doesn't work"
"Lucy Lucy Lucy
That Piano Is A Jerk!"

"I know honey, but I 
Need you and how"
"I'll squeeze you in on Saturday
It's all I can do for now".

"Thank You Darling,
Have a Blessed Day"
I'll have someone there
for You on Saturday".

I arrive at 9:30
Church empty and bare
and there's that piano
just sitting over there

I've been here before
and I know what to do
Fix it and tune it
and charge them for it, too.

..but this time it's different
this time it's worse
Is it me or the piano?
one of us is cursed

The piano sits in front
of a Hammond B-3
With drums and bass
and speakers of EV

The Piano's a Kawai(GE-1)
but that doesn't matter
23 and 24 are broken
and the damper tray is all "clatter"

I pull out the action
It's exactly what I thought
The Damper Tray Lift Blocks
..where's those parts I bought..?

All 3 pins
have worked their way out
this is a big problem
there is no doubt

The pedal is used
For Sustain AND for time
and for time and for time
and for time and for time

I re-pin it bigger
I think that might work
..at least for a little while
I hope I can lurk

And as for the wire
I'm ordering more
more wire in that "key"
of 23 and 24

I've reshaped the hammers
And steam-voiced them down
and regulated the action
all for an OK sound

This piano has been
an education for me
a lesson in futility
a dose of humility

But I love a challange
even if it is fatal
I anticipate the next phone call
sometime next April.

-Phil Bondi (Fl.)
phil@philbondi.com