“How can you?” she expostulated

            For the hundred thousandth time

 

            I lifted up my headphones for a moment

            And went back to listening

 

            You see, I didn’t think

            That anything was better

            And I found in each interpretation

            Something marvellous and new –

            The smallest nuance stood

            Like Hercules before the lion

            And subtle shifts became

            Vesuvius to my ear

 

            Not having much of one

            She couldn’t understand

 

            Nor did she know,

            Until I finally had the guts

            To tell her to her face,

            That I’d grown tired of

            The same old song she sang

            A long long time ago

 

            She left the room but,

            Glancing back, replied

            That she had tried out many different tunes –

            Successfully –

            Through all these years

 

            Outside