illumination

by soomin lee

Hunched over on the plastic mat in the living room, 

You practice the ukulele after dinner,.

Your voice the accompaniment,

Mumbling that can barely be heard over the ceiling fan.

You flick the strings with lazy precision, the lamp’s glow

Illuminating your face, a spotlight,

Bright like your eyes fixed 

on the screen of your phone

That displays the pattern of chords your fingers freely follow.

You hum and you strum and I listen as you create a world of quiet song—

Every note, every chorus, falls into place,

A patchwork of spotty beginnings and confident bridges.,

And while your spotlight remains on for your audience to see—

Now a dim lamp that illuminates your face,

Later a shining beam that

Illuminates art of your own creation—

No spotlight can illuminate the world of love I have for you.