Poetry by Richelle Sushil
Tempo Rubato
I read somewhere that the phrase ‘tempo rubato’, When literally translated, Is Italian for ‘stolen time’. It’s a music term, That allows you to take liberties With the pace of a piece when playing it. How fast or slow you go is entirely up to you. You steal a second here, And give a second there. Shorten one here, And extend another, somewhere along the way. It helps to give the piece more feeling; more intensity. I’ve never known how to play an instrument. And you once told me that you took a couple of piano lessons, But it wasn’t really your thing. Regardless, I think we were masters of tempo rubato; Of playing with feeling. Of giving, and taking time. I keep all of the seconds you ever gave me In my bottom desk drawer. (I like to imagine you do the same with mine.) |
Richelle Sushil is a final year BA English student at King’s College London. Among other things, she writes poems about love, memory, & home, and can often be found in the middle of a hug, or on twitter @richellesushil.
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