By Jonathan Li
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Loud coughing, clearing throats,
bouncing echoes off vaulted ceilings.
Mounted spotlights click—
a buzzing, like fabric-on-fabric,
faint flitters of the beam flickering on…
Oh.
They’re watching,
don’t forget: “no mistakes.”
Voices are muddling:
was that a dissonance?
a falter in the performance?
Now frozen wire squeezes,
barbs embedding themselves
in his heart.
Causing missed
Pulses—
skittering, swinging
rhythm landing on
offbeats…
Like the jazz
playing.
And suddenly
it’s not hard to imagine—
their panting
their crisp suits wrinkling
golden-clasped belts missing…
—better maintain a steady composure,
Don’t forget: they’re listening.
But it’s not
hard to imagine—
that salty, metallic liquid
dripping––
the business phone
left ringing
the staggering walk
next morning
the back that won’t stop burning.
—But hey, don’t forget to keep smiling.
Li is a branch and California state honored pianist, as well as a 2020 California Arts Scholar.