Singing in the Shower - Poem

Introduction

Main Digest

I don't seem to be able to refrain from singing
when I step into the shower.
Something about the echo-like sound
that my 64-year old vocal chords
produce in that little tiled box
in the corner of the bathroom
tickles me no end.

"I touch your hand and my arms grow strong,
Like a pair of birds that burst in song."

For a while I thought I would never
be able to entertain myself (and my wife)
like that again.

Most people don't know that Parkinson's
can steal away the singing voice---
limit range, destroy the falsetto,
take the heart out of the music.

I used to be a singer,
church and community choirs and choruses,
community theater;
been King Arthur and Harold Hill and Benny Southstreet
and the Minstrel (..upon a Mattress).
But Parkinson's took that from me.
It was a theft sorely felt.

Then one night,
when I stepped into the shower
for what had become a quiet,
music-free
mundane task,
something prompted me to sing,
not like Curly singing "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!"
but like Ezio Pinza,
rolling my 'r's and rounding my o's,
bringing the sound up from the gut,
holding nothing back,
like Pavarotti carrying "Nessun Dorma" over a full orchestra,
not worrying if the noise I was producing could be heard
through three doors and over the sound of the television.

That shower stall worked magic.
My god, I sounded good!
Well, maybe not "good,"
but not bad.

And did I have fun!

That was a long and noisy shower.

I have happily accepted the trade off
of my falsetto
for an ear-splitting but ego-soothing
upper register ending.....

"Angel and lover, heaven and earth
Am I, with you."

followed by

"When you walk through a storm,
Keep your chin up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark."

Related Publications▶ Share This Page

Page Information, Citing and Disclaimer

Disabled World is a comprehensive online resource that provides information and news related to disabilities, assistive technologies, and accessibility issues. Founded in 2004 our website covers a wide range of topics, including disability rights, healthcare, education, employment, and independent living, with the goal of supporting the disability community and their families.

Cite This Page (APA): Kenneth Nye. (2011, January 21). Singing in the Shower - Poem. Disabled World. Retrieved September 14, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/communication/poetry/singing-shower.php

Permalink: <a href="https://www.disabled-world.com/communication/poetry/singing-shower.php">Singing in the Shower - Poem</a>: Singing in the Shower a poem by Kenneth Nye relating to Parkinsons Disease.

Disabled World provides general information only. Materials presented are never meant to substitute for qualified medical care. Any 3rd party offering or advertising does not constitute an endorsement.