As thunderous applause faded to silence

And the cacophony of voices came to a close,

It was as though everyone was holding their breath.

An electrifying tension no one could stand-

Released upon the arrival of the conductor,

Wielding his baton, ready for the first beat.

The performer could not hear her rapid heart beat

As she listened to the crowd, the only response was silence.

Out her periphery was the conductor’s stand

Tall and unmoving, as if it too was out of breath.

Suddenly, she felt constricted, everything was too close

She stood still, awaiting the conductor.

Finally, came the tap from the conductor.

As he raised his hands for the beat

The musicians raised their instruments in silence

Waiting, as their cue to enter was coming close.

So clear was every detail from the stand,

One could even see the performer’s warm breath

Once she started, it would be over in a breath

As she had done millions of times before, she broke the silence

Her instrument was her friend, family; close

Playing with such grace, she was her own conductor

Even so, never missing a beat.

She played as if this was her last stand.

Was she Euterpe? So majestic did she stand,

Music came from her fingers, rhythm from her breath,

Emotion from her body, toes for the beat.

Infecting the crowd, hardly containing their silence

Hit by a train of music, of which she was conductor

As the climax came to a close.

She no longer felt anxiety, not even close

Her passion was infectious, reaching the stand

Once more, in unison, she breathed with the orchestra, the conductor

Although nearing the end, she must keep the beat

The audience could feel it, they all drew a breath

And thus, arrived the end! Then, silence…

And then, from the stand, an uncertain clap broke the ugly silence.

The conductor, the concert grandmaster, released their breath

As they released the final beat. The curtains came to a close.

Photo Citations: Alexander Krvitskiy, courtesy of Unsplash, https://unsplash.com/photos/8OA3GXQ0PbQ