Clutter

My piano collects things. Without intervention and intention, collections would keep on accumulating. Mostly I like to have minimal surface clutter, but honestly, in this moment I like what’s happening on the piano… for now.

The family picture canvas came first. That’s the only wall that it fits…the only wall space that is big enough. And it’s fine having it above the piano. The rest has accumulated. The songbooks and sheets have to be close by, of course, and the plant was supposed to help kind of balance the whole business: piano, canvas, and music things. The framed photos drifted from place to place here in the living room and ended up there. Maybe gravitational pull happens between the music spaces and photographs. Maybe, but mostly, it’s a default thing. Where else?

Poking around at my favorite used shop the other day, I found the framed art, weirdly gold-y and yellowish, which I don’t like, but couldn’t leave there. I liked the idea, mostly, in the picture, of two grown girls having time to play around with music. I want to have time to lean on the piano on one elbow and work out music. So I brought the piece home. It laid on my desk, for several days. I was trying to figure out where it was going to actually be or not be, after all, perhaps. Then at dusting time it came to be, leaning frankly on the canvas and filling in where there really isn’t space, but I haven’t felt cluttered about it. I like it there, creating another layer of thought and inspiration to my space. There’s still room for a taper and snuffer in old gold, as well.

Brad, leaning on the old, red truck posing for graduation and life at 18, just slid in there on the end. Perfect clutter. We found the frame of Brad while we were cleaning the travel trailer to sell. Well, how nice. So that’s how that came to be on the piano. All that is left to complete the array is to light the candles and add in a fresh bouquet of flowers. Please snuff candles as you leave the room.

Friday when I dusted off the pine pollen I had to remove everything and shine all the glass. No minimizing happened. It all went back on with a clean “dresser scarf”. I still like it too much. I think I might be growing up, at last.