Whilst I was waiting at Avignon TGV I heard Erik Satie’s Gymnopedies being played on a piano

The pianist who was missing some of the more difficult notes was waiting for a train with her cousin

An American woman asked about the pianist and was told that her name was Texas Poem and that she was studying music in Paris

She had travelled south as her uncle had suffered a stroke and was gravely ill

That was all that I heard of the conversation as my attention was detained by the sight of a migratory bird

This bird was resting on a girder that was supporting the station roof but it seemed neither distressed or unwell

I thought it might be sheltering from the brutal heat but I could not be sure

Whilst my attention was diverted the beautiful pianist and her cousin left their theatre

Their train had arrived and they were making their way towards the platform

The station stool was now vacant and the keys of the piano were silent

Yet I could still hear them quite clearly against the background noise