‘It was a hot July in the besieged city’ by Colin Graham

It was a hot July in the besieged city.
The orchestra arrived on a truck
and were divided into sections.
Shovels for the brass, picks for the wind.
The pianist, still surprised by the war,
was wearing his new serge suit,
so rolled his trousers to the knee
before jumping into the ditch.
His spindly legs were soon mud-scored.
At lunch he retired to the shade
of a leafless bush where, tie undone,
his fingers rehearsed,
on the leather of his briefcase, downturned,
the score of Brahms’ Concerto #1.

From issue #5: autumn/winter 2017

About the Author
Colin Graham’s poetry has been published in The Tangerine, The Literateur, The Pickled Body and Honest Ulsterman. His memoir essays and fiction have appeared in The Dublin Review, Joyland and The Edinburgh Review. He is co-editor of The Irish Review and curator of the Illuminations gallery at Maynooth University where he teaches English.