singles and 12 Lately in your 45th year you've been thinking of learning an instrument. It's a thought that has lingered like you yourself linger long after the school gates have closed: because she goes to now little Aria. It happened blink eye and through thousand sleepless nights. Back home quiet - sort you as new mother would've paid for passing time vacuuming drown out silence dust he's left behind. You'd tried learn violin at seven but did more than wax bow. Hymns on recorder chapel were duet with mother's grimace lack beauty those F# notes. You relegated triangle single mistimed stroke. This was all before you'd pleaded brass-necked bouncers sequins fake ID. Cavorting 7 EPs turned into mix-tapes Ibiza stole twenties punctured sleep DJs mothering melodies give goosebumps even now. Then love songs our his songs no longer yours: break-up turn radio off. Since nursery rhymes forgotten how sing. Your mother said just play someone else's records not own. And then remember August sun when upon orchestra Lulworth cove. Its players assembled under true-blue sky. There seemed formal arrangement this chorale though note place. Even crushing silver foil around unfinished sandwiches had kept beat tide coming in. Footsteps shingle maracas tambourines baby's first touch wave piccolo pitch. The put mallet windbreak become snare argument beach tent found revelling drama string quartet. An interlude then patter between friends notes dialect accent against sound clash crisp packets sun-slapped bare backs: it'd ended glockenspiel chimes arrive round ice creams chorus where we know words. heard it sunglasses rockstar seen one person didn't smile another lips are kissed by sun. Later clifftop canvas facing France there'd encore minor key from hay bales. That morning fortress defended water pistols Riley tallest them all conducted crew be patient: enemy is only yourself. Amidst torchlight campfire Ibizas nature's choir traced bodies singing shanties avoiding their beds playing pirates night. There'd B-flat shriek G chord whoop gruff tenor tethered Dachshund so desperate play. peeled her away sight star grumbles oboes yawns trombones until side side heartbeats drums now practices every-day. crickets guitar pick-ups wine. A tented chamber. slept finally knew how. thought: Maybe piano lessons get back perhaps pick up violin what spin LP that'd started dream: you're still there heard haven't gone away. collect drum practice promise go trick or treat hear waves sea again symphony halfway through hand yours song