
I Saw a Man
Recently, I stumbled upon a wonderful show on Apple TV entitled “Little Voice.”
I am a passionate encourager of voice. And with the upcoming release of my third book, Catching Fireflies, I’ve been soaking in the concept of voice. Needless to say, when I saw this title, I was intrigued.
I dove into the first episode and fell in love immediately.
It’s a beautiful story. With rich, vibrant, captivatingly complex characters. Hope is stitched in each line…it’s in the foreground and background of every shot and frame…it’s laced in between each song. Yes, song. The show adds a gorgeous musical element, as well.
And that musical component is the inspiration behind my poem, entitled “I Saw a Man.”
Let me explain.
“Little Voice,” its storyline and soundtrack, has inspired many. Among those have been musicians who are covering the songs featured on the show. This has resulted in Little Voice showcasing some of these musicians on Instagram in a special segment call “Little Voice Renditions.”
Recently, I came across one of the features. It was of a man. A classical pianist named Colin Huggins.
He played his rendition of the show’s theme song, also entitled “Little Voice.” I was already previously completely pulled in by the lyrics of that song. But his expression of it, drew me in further. And I grabbed my pen.
The following poem was the result.
May it encourage you to love and nurture your Little Voice.
I Saw a Man
I saw a man
positioned at his piano
so grand
he filled his atmosphere
there was no void
every fragment of space
freely used, no waste
His gestures and movements
finessed and stroked
and strummed and glided over the air around him
as if he were the sole member of a full orchestra,
playing each invisible instrument
with the movements of his body
and his love of sounds,
sounds that wafted through the area in which he reigned,
sounds so rich you could see and smell and taste
His body in perfect rhythm and harmony with the scales that encircled him,
He was a conductor.
a conductor of emotions,
grand emotions,
my emotions
and as his arms went up and down
and in and around,
as his fingers danced across the keys,
as each note floated visibly and tangibly,
and filled the music sheet that was the white space around him,
my heart sang.
I saw a man positioned at a piano
and my heart became a chanteuse
My heart sang each note
and swayed and danced
and began to play along
and I was inspired.
inspired to take up my own space,
inspired to spread up and out
and fill every bit of white space around me
I saw a man playing the piano
and I was inspired to share myself,
to share and express my eccentricities,
my unique differences,
my quirky weirdness,
to allow my one-of-a-kindness permission and space
to dance and sing
and laugh and love and create and love some more
to let every bit of goodness, every lesson, every tear
paint a mural in the air around me,
to write poetry with vivid words and imagery
that hang and glide on molecules in this little piece of the world that is mine
I saw a man creating life at his piano
and it made me want to live
I want to live so grand
in my little space
that imaginary instruments mount up with wings like butterflies
and play verbal and visual melodies so profound
passersby marvel at the sounds
that have quietly taken up residence in their hearts and minds
I want my little voice
to speak songs and sing words
that are precious and impactful
with lyrics sweet like fruit and strong like trees
so sweet and strong an entire grove
springs forth from my mouth
ripe, with complex syllables and pictures so real you can pick them
and taste and see that they are good
I want to live big and share big and love big
and I want to do it in my little corner,
my little area,
all with my little voice
I saw a man dreaming over his piano
in his dreams, we are all little voices
small chambers coming together
to form a grand orchestral masterpiece,
spiritual symphonies and anointed ensembles
playing and harmonizing together as one,
creating unity and respect,
friendship and kindness and understanding
I saw a man crafting at his piano
and my creative voice was stirred,
encouraged to come out from hiding
in all its tiny grandeur
invited to paint the walls and ceilings and floors
of my little slice of existence
with broad strokes and minute details
big words and small ones
complicated and simplified
poetry and prose
truth and fiction
to draw illustrations
with stories and tales of love and laughter
and pain and sadness
I saw a man coaxing a piano
the curve of his hands
as he gently persuaded each key to speak
gave my little voice permission
to whisper or yell or be quiet or bold
to explode or softly simmer
to express in my special way
even if my expression changes from day-to-day
I saw a man playing piano
He played with his whole body
in his whole space
with his whole self
and in doing so
he taught me that
even if our voices are little
it’s what they say that can be so big
