Band Concert

Loud beating inside my head

Vibrations surround me

Reverberating throughout my soul.

Feelings of uneasiness creep up on me

As I contemplate leaving the crowded area.

So many people, some recognizable,

Look at me as I look at them.

The air is stuffy and humid

But the faint feeling does not come.

Flashes, cheers, applause, whistles

All for them, not for me.

The torture is not over;

It has only begun.

The instruments start tuning,

Preparing for their next piece.

Familiar tunes are warped,

Transforming into hideous nostalgic creatures.

I feel that my ears should be bleeding

And I’m surprised that they aren’t.

I hear a tune that I’ve played once before,

Instantly realizing why I’ll never be one of them.

My back begins to ache,

Dealing with one torturous melody after another.

They follow the conductor, the queen bee,

Like the mindless drones that they are.

Waiting, waiting, waiting

For everything to stop.

A good taste in music?

Hardly.