The Backporch Review 2022

Over Practice
By Idalis Santiago, 12
The glare at the music,
sweat dripping down the face
of the musician who stands for hours on end –
practicing.
The body always in motion,
almost a dance –
to become one with the music,
embracing the small wooden body at hand.
The fingers bouncing from string to string
the vast strides of the arm
need to play the melody longer --
so that the mind could travel into paradise.
But the pegs keep slipping,
the fingers fumbling,
the arms straining to gain strength –
only to feel fatigue settling in.
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