James Keelaghan Kiri's Piano
Of all of Kiri Ito's joys, the thing she loved the best Was to play her prized piano when the sun had gone to rest I used to hear the notes drift down along the silent water As Kiri played the notes and scales for her dear sons and daughters Now me I played piano though not as good as Kiri She went in for that long haired stuff but my she played it pretty The old piano had a tone would set my heart to aching It always sounded sweetest though when it was Kiri playing In December when the seventh fleet was turned to smoke and ashes The order came to confiscate their fishing boats and caches And Kiri's husband forced to go and work in labour camps And Kiri left alone to fend and hold the fort as best she can But the music did not drift as often from up the cove at Kiri's house And when it did it sounded haunted played with worry played with doubt For Kiri knew that soon she too would be compelled to leave And the old upright would stay behind and Kiri she would grieve I loaded Kiri on the bus with stoic internees The crime that they were guilty of was that they were not like me And if I was ashamed I didn't know it at the time They were flotsam on the wave of war they were no friends of mine I went up to Kiri's house to tag all their belongings And set them out for auctioneers who'd claim them in the morning One piece that I thought I'd keep and hold back for myself Was that haunting ivory upright that Kiri played so well But Kiri had not left it there for me to take as plunder She'd rolled it down onto the dock and on into the harbor That old upright in strangers' hands was a thought she couldn't bear So she consigned it to the sea to settle the affair So many years have come and gone since Kiri's relocation I look back now upon that time with shame and resignation For Kiri knew what I did not that if we must be free Then sometimes we must sacrifice to gain our dignity Yes Kiri knew what I did not that if we must be free Then sometimes we must sacrifice to gain our dignity
