He told few stories:
At ten, his best friend shot
in the street. The horse who lay
dead while he hid with his mother.
The Gestapo dragging his father
from the apartment. In prison,
(at eleven) the man who taught him
Czech. In the camp, the secret radio
that could have led to death.
Reunited with his father, begging
for a cracker. His father’s tears
as he rationed parts of the cracker.

In Paris after the war, his violin teacher
chased him down the street,
begging him to continue his lessons.
He had perfect pitch.

But my father had stopped playing long before then.

Faye Rapoport DesPres is the author of 6 books. Her poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction have been published in a wide variety of literary journals. Faye lives in Massachusetts.