Welcome to my April 2026 Great and Powerful Blogging from A to Z Challenge!

I’ve revealed my theme (A poem a day…maybe even with pictures), and of course, I am unashamedly blogging my theme letters on the fly.  So, here goes nothing!

So, without further ado, Q is for … Quickly post this before anyone notices that I forgot…

Music Festival for Nervous Musicians

Rows of seats wait
outside closed doors.
You hear faint screeches —
violins, clarinets —
perhaps a paradiddle
from within.

A woman, hair in bun,
stereotypical glasses
of one with nothing else to do
but greet competitors,
look them up and down,
direct them to “Sit…
Wait to be called in.”

So you sit, and others sit,
clutching flutes, violas, trumpets,
or the nothing at all
representing pianists or sopranos.

You appear from warmup rooms,
dens of intimidated or intimidating.
Hoping you are good enough,
ready to perform

in front of judge, jury.
Executioner.

Just kidding.

Only an examiner…
and someone else’s mother
throwing shade as you play.

Thanks for visiting my 2026 A to Z Challenge – Letter Q.