You hear the pounding Watch the fingers move Must be similar to war May the strongest stay in grove And who has the say Those with the biggest guns Or are tactics to be the key Do we have to watch or listen to see Sounds tremble; strings speak We are on edge; peacefulness we seek What inspires the meek and mild? Thunder is driving the masses wild Placation is not the object here Arouse them and then hold them dear You can feel the tension rise Who is being idolized? Exhaustion from an impossible pace You wonder - why the race? The real players never seem to mind They take every advantage they can find A challenge from the maestro Some would label him a swine But up and coming replacements Are calling the encounter just fine There are no drum beats None are needed as there is Balance in the score Aficionados are seeking even more But as in all combats They have to come to end But this rendezvous with Beethoven Has been exceptionally grand Steve Haarman aka Stanski July 19, 2021 ^