Concertina

The Baker from Into the Woods
is practicing parallel parking
in front of the rug store
(in a car marked "student driver")
I follow behind Little Read and the Witch
(from the jr. version)
and in we go.
Beautiful beads, tantalizing tapastries
and a few varied intruments--
I pause by a concertina,
but upon looking at the price tag
I breeze on by.
Making the rounds of the store
I find myself pulled back
to the concertina--
the owner tells me to touch it,
try it out.
The leather straps are too big
for my hands but I put
my small mitts through
and it sings. Italian concertina
made in Russia, bought in Uzbekistan--
now named Adolpho,
and she is mine.