Have I mentioned that coming up with titles is not my forte?
my sweater wore sequins,
my skirt wore plaid.
eight-year-old fingers
(fingers destined for the piano,
my father had said)
trembled and left
little sweaty fingerprints
on the black construction paper
that held my sheet music steady.
a child bowed, and I left my seat
and my comfort zone, stretching
eight-year-old fingers
on ancient piano keys.
deep breath.
count down.
play the song.
somehow
habit overcame fear, and
eight-year-old fingers
pulled a tune from
ancient keys.
exhale.
stand up.
smile and curtsy.
twelve years of leaving
my seat and my comfort zone
scraped away layers of fear,
leaving a flayed, perfected love of
sharing beauty.
perfect love casts out all fear.
now twenty-year-old fingers
stretch across strings that
thrum with song,
and love overcomes fear
as I pull raw grace
from a scarred guitar.
exhale.
breathe in.
do it again.
Photo by Clark Young on Unsplash
Laurel Luehmann 
I’ve been thinking about this ever since you shared it on IG! Been trying to truly consider how to let it shape my mindset when I play music for others.
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Aww, I’m so glad it’s been thought-provoking!
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Oh Laurel, this is absolutely one of my favorites of yours!! So beautiful to read this as a fellow musician and think to myself “YES! She is so right!” I agree with Emma – I’d love to remember this at performances and keep it in the perspective of spreading the glory of God.
(I also love how the words themselves form such an interesting shape as they continue down the page. So pretty! 🤭)
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Aww, I’m so glad you enjoy it! It was so much fun to write.:) It is so easy to feel so awkward when we’re sharing music…but remembering it’s not about us is so freeing!
Haha, yes! It’s an unintentional art in itself.:)
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This is BEAUTIFUL Laurel! You have captured this moment beautifully! You have such a gift! For some reason my eyes were teary while reading this *sighing over how beautiful this poem is*. 🥺 Thank you so much for sharing! ♥️
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Awww…that makes me so glad! Thank you for the encouragement. ❤
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You are so welcome Laurel! ♥️
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