“Piano” by Julian Alldredge
March 12, 2026
My piano holds history
passed down my family for years.
My ears blessed by chords like G major.
When I get stressed, I play.
I get lost in the harmonies, the sounds,
the melodies that clear my mind of chaos.
The notes of a,b,c,d,e,f,g have been within me forever,
forever, since before my first step on earth.
The rhythms are the beat within my heart
the rhythms of 8th, quarter, and half notes.
This poem was written by Julian Alldredge as a 7th grader at Mercer Middle School, with WITS Writer Ricardo Ruiz. Performed at the SAL’s Literary Arts Series event with Cristina Rivera Garza and Javier Zamora at Town Hall on February 24, 2026.
Posted in Student Writing Writers in the Schools Arts Education 2025/26 Season