Full of Songs

I went shopping for a new harmonica in an out of the way music store. It was down a narrow alley in Iowa City. The small shop was empty except for the shopkeeper. I looked at all of the harmonicas in the display case. Finally, the old man pulled out one in a red box.

The shopkeeper’s long gray hair was wildly eschew on his head. He was a small man with a slight bend in his back. “This one is full of songs.” He softly said.

“Many?” I said.

“Very many!” he replied.

“How many?” I asked.

“Well...lots!” he said, “I can’t be sure about how many, but lots. Probably more than you will ever play. You’ll run out of you before you run out of songs.”

“Full of songs, I said, “ I see…and how do I get them out?”

“You don’t play do you?”

“No, no, I do! I have several harmonicas already. I guess I just don’t know how to get the songs out. Oh, I can play some, but not many.”

“Then you need this harmonica!”

“Well, you’re a good salesman!”

He smiled just slightly and he had a twinkle in his eye. “Maybe so, “ he said.

“So how does it work?”

"Blow and draw! I thought you said you played?”

“I do, I do, but I’m not very good.”

“Well son, the songs are in there. All you have to do is let them out.”

“Hmmmm…Ok then, I’ll take it.”

I paid for it and left. When I got home I carefully took it out of the box. It looked like all the rest. I was afraid to try it…afraid it wouldn’t work. At last, I put it back in the box. I tried to take it back but the store was closed when I got there so the harmonica sits on the shelf at home.

All the songs are in there. You just have to let them out. I think about that a lot and play my other harmonicas. I like the thought of having a full harmonica. Maybe I’ll play it someday. Maybe not. If I run out of me before I do, you can play it.