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As the soldier looked around, he gazed upon an innocent woman’s body. No weapon, no armor. She didn’t deserve to die. He wandered around, tripping over the rubble. He slowly made his way towards the piano, amazed how it was the only thing in the field left standing. He opened the top of the piano and looked inside. It was as if no one had ever touched it. Not even the wind. He closed the piano and started to play “In Flanders Fields”.

As his fingers caressed the keys of the piano, he was brought to another world. A world that was full of peace, not hatred. In this world, you didn’t have to go to war. People didn’t need to leave their family. This is the world he wanted to be in, not the one he was living in.

When he lifted his fingers off the keyboard, the peaceful world disappeared. He was back in the field surrounded by dead bodies and smoke. He kept gazing at the piano, still wondering how it was the only thing left standing. As the song ended, he closed the piano and walked away. After he got back to his group, his sergeant asked him if he was okay. He said that he was fine but just missed his family. He never told anyone about the piano, afraid that they were going to judge him. He kept it a secret until he got home to his family 1 year later. To this day, he still cannot forget about the memories that came with the piano.

– Bryann Cormier

 About the author:

Bryann Cormier wrote this piece as a Grade 6 student aged 12 from Edmonton, AB. She is now 14 years old.