Ode to Music

 Music is Home.

A community--

A group.

I don’t have one very often.

For me friends are few and far between.

I’m much more likely to observe than take part.

But in an orchestra

I’m connected.

I’m in the middle of everything.

I can play with others,

And I’m heard without ever having to speak.

Speaking is hard.

Words get stuck in my throat,

Or garbled on my tongue.

They come twice--

Three times--

Not at all

Instead of the once I intended.

But in an orchestra

I have a voice.

A voice of my own.

A voice important by itself that fits in the whole.

I can speak.

When I teach,

I’m the one up front.

The one with the words

And it scares me.

But I’m still in an orchestra.

I can give my students a voice.

Teach them to play with others.

To be in the middle of everything.

I can create

A community

A group

A Home

For my students and me.

Author's Note

I'm going for simple phrases, but this feels choppy. I can't decide where to put the punctuation and capital letters! How do I emphasize the important lines?