Keelaghan James Kiri`s Piano Lyrics

Kiri`s Piano Lyrics

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