Sunday Service

Sunday Service: Scott Hammer Poem

from SAVE

The player piano was haunted.

No one knew
the difference between

it and its twin
in Sioux City,

which had no spirit.

Saloons these days still reek

of hollowed peanut
shells.

Still cover puke with sawdust.

They play La Paloma of
Her Own Volition.

The machine rolls, the
keys get depressed.

Just like that, some drunk
in the corner

starts singing.

Scott Hammer is the author of the poetry chapbook Mock Draw. His writing has appeared in La Petite Zine, Noo Weekly, Lungfull!, Poet Lore, Press 1, Inertia Magazine, and Hamilton Stone Review. He is currently writing and living in Philadelphia, and can be followed on Tumblr.

December 11th, 2011 / 12:00 pm
Sunday Service

11 Comments

  1. Deadgodfan1

      Finally, a good poem!

  2. mimi

      the keys get depressed – nice!

  3. michael

      This poem is ballin’ outta control.

  4. michael

      PERHAPS THE SECRET TO WRITING A GOOD POEM IS WAITING UNTIL YOU HAVE A GOOD IDEA FOR A POEM

  5. Craig Ronald Marchinkoski

      i like to think this playerpiano is on a steamboat.
      and some drunk after singing
      throws himself overboard into the river.
      some drunk drowns. his body washes
      up to the shore where his lover 
      is washing his only suit. 
      the lover sees some drunk’s body
      as 15 doves exit some drunk’s mouth.
      the lover traps the doves
      under her dress
      (and leaves some drunk’s body
      on the shore for river children
      to build a fort in) and
      brings the doves to the home
      of another lover.
      she dresses another lover
      in some drunk’s only suit
      and they sit down
      to a meal of 15 doves.

      maybe i’m reading too much into it.
      but i’m not sure what happens next.

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