My Life in D-flat Major
5 flats
5 odds to dexterity
The black keys
Seem lathered with oil
The ivory a half-step crevasse
Between failure and success
My fingers have no pitons
As they free solo
The short do-or-die distance
To perfection
The heart of my summit
5 days
5 hours a day
Think technique
No, thinking
is a curse after drills
Breathe
Leave the strain on your spine
Not on your hands
Never on your wrists
They have been softened by toil
Set yourself free with your mind
Doing all the singing
When you are gone
When you hear a new language
Not even the longest fingers can speak
When the call of the wild
Inside you
Is taming your beast
