Something to Harp About

Originally written in May 1997, and published in the summer of 1997 in the BC Harps newsletter (British Columbia). Also published in the September 2013 issue of Resonance, the newsletter of the Greater Seattle Chapter of the American Harp Society. See also Lori Pappajohn’s Winter Harp website.

(for Lori Pappajohn)

So, like, what are those colours on the strings for?

And those pedals,

are they, like, like a piano’s?

Which one’s the soft pedal?

Or maybe it needs a loud pedal, huh?

By the way, are you an angel?

I bet you get kidded about that all the time, huh?

And did you say your name is Loreena?

Oh, and do you have wings to go with that harp?

And how come you have so many?

Isn’t one just like all the others?

I mean, like, how many different songs

can you play on that thing anyway?