He Could Not Stop Playing The Violin

when the neighbors would bang on the walls
screaming through them
telling him to stop
for the love of god
it is three in the morning

when the eviction notice was taped up
citing one too many complaints from the other tenants
and countless unheeded warnings to cease

when the police showed and broke down the door
they had to pull his fingers from the strings
and rip the bow from his hands

their reports called it an obsession
his friends thought it an addiction
his fans said it was love

but
if you asked him he would tell you
it's just who he was