I Still Remember My Piano Teacher Poem by Raymond Farrell

Over fifty years have passed
But I still remember
My piano teacher Miss Code
Beginning at the age of eight
She patiently tried to make
An accomplished pianist out of me
Initially, I made progress in that direction
I thought of my grandmother
Who had been an accomplished pianist
She also was a good artist
In her day Penmanship
Was taught in secondary school
And her old report card indicated
She got a mark of 100 in it
Miss Code said I had
An aptitude for music
But I must spend more time practicing
I thought about my grandmother and her penmanship
Then I thought about messy printing and writing
For which I had to sit out in the hall
As a means of shaming and punishment
Then I thought about baseball and ball hockey
The voices out on the street
Seemed to call me
Out to play
By the time I turned thirteen
I decided aptitude or not
I didn't really have enough
Of what it took talent wise
Nor the needed commitment
To become an accomplished pianist.