The Music Hallway

Steps, down a hallway
Empty to my eye
I meander with no destination
My feet are mere shadows of sound
As I pass the first door
Sweet music trickles forth
I hesitate, then press my ear to the door
A voice adds to the music, matching notes
Letting her voice fill the room, floating effortlessly
I pull away, burned
Guilty of eavesdropping, I travel on
Another door comes in my path
Again, sounds move through the cracks
There is a violinist inside, practicing
Beautiful notes occasionally murdered by mistakes
But never a cry of frustration, just a sigh and starting again
I jerk back again, shaking my head and moving forward
I don’t hesitate at the next door
Pressing my ear against the wood
I immediately recognize the sound of a guitar and drums
They are a duet, naturally mixing tones
Bass vibrates through my body as I experience their playing
Suddenly the music stops and there is laughter
Two hands clasp together in triumph
Wrenching myself away, I stumble down the hall
Collapsing in front of the final door
No guilt left in me, I lean against it, listening
For a moment there is nothing
Then the soft sound of tears reaches my ears
Amazed, I pull myself up to peek through a small window
Inside, is a girl, holding a saxophone, her body bent in despair
“I’ll never get it, no matter how hard I try.”
I duck even lower as another body moves in the room
“You will, if you want to and you keep trying, you will.”
The girl nods, slowly wipes away her tears and brings the reed to her lips.
Stunned, I pull myself up and away from the door
Turning to look down the empty hallway
Hot tears not unlike the girls prick the back of my eyes
Behind each blank, wooden door there is a dream
Some gaining, some failing, but all trying
Behind each door there is courage and faith
Behind each door there is love
For themselves, for their music, for their dream
I stand in the hallway, which is no longer empty to my eye
Finally noticing the life around me
And suddenly feel very alone.

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7/22/03

This was awarded an honorable mention in "Invalid Item"