Orchestral Piece (#2)

“But orchestras

have always frightened him

and I can understand that:

at concerts I’ve often felt

overwhelmed by the weight of sound

and effort and movement

but it’s been fleeting

and suddenly I’ve stepped

just a pace back into safety –

just far enough

to hear the music again

and not be trapped hot in the middle

of scything arms,

hard faces cut in concentration,

torsos bobbing like pistons.”