Jean Liew

Hofeldt’s Lullaby

The resonance of the D string notes
And the clarity when I slid
Into third position on A
Playing Hofeldt’s Lullaby
On a borrowed instrument
I remember it –
The fingers, the strokes
And standing in front of her
At the blue music stand
The paintings above our heads 

We were 10 and 11
When we played Allegro
Bows in unison
Ringing open strings
Then blind auditions
Marcellus on viola
Barthok pizz, warm blue vests 
Galleria concerts, nursing homes

We moved through Britten
Annotating our sheets
Plucking that note
Like we were one 
Until we sounded like the record
Until we were at tempo
Until we were triumphant
Horsehair hovering midair

It came through on my old Nokia
Between classes, impersonal
You’d passed before the festival
I wasn’t there on that stage
My classmates unpack their bows
And played for you once more
Hofeldt’s Lullaby 

Jean Liew is a rheumatologist and clinical researcher at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center.