I sit here before my piano with trepidation
I press the first key with tentative touch
The sound surrounds me with unsung notes
With untold dreams
The second key makes me shiver
In harmony with the first
The words are so clear in my head
The melodies refuse to follow
A moonlight sonata on paper with no voice
Each stroke on the keyboard brings me closer to hearing
I am stuck between the notes of understanding
I pause and listen
With tremulous finger I strike the third and then the fourth
Like my piano, I wonder what I’m doing
I hear the music so clearly in my imagination
It rises up to a crescendo and the audience applauds
It wraps around me with adulation
A violin or two encourages movements
I write the words that sing so harmoniously
But, alas, I only write the words
I listen closely to hear the music
It isn't there