the snow engagement

I remember my neighbor,
Linda,
a music teacher at the local
high school.
always banging on her piano
with some little
kid.
i'd hear it through the walls,
the ping
of keys being struck
by small hands, and her loud
voice, saying
no, no, no.
then one day it snowed
and she introduced me to a man
she met on catholic match dot com.
he was tall and quiet.
this is my fiancé,
she said in the cold
sun, shoveling.
we shook our gloved hands
and I said congratulations.
he smiled
and said nothing.
by spring, she was gone,
as was the snow
and the piano against
my wall.