“You walk funny.”

These words have plagued my school experience.

No one knows the reason behind this walk,

They don’t know that my muscles don’t work and I’m slower than the rest

That when I was young, the hospital held countless tests

We learned that my muscles are, simply, permanently weak.

That I was cursed with this body which will forever be undeniably bleak

I lost every race; forget sports teams- they wouldn’t take me.

Excluded by one team, I found another;

This one composed of musicians and conductors

From the beginning, I was set.  Weakness is just what I’d need!

You see, music can’t just be played- it must give the soul something to feed

The only way to have soul, is to express your emotions

I’ve been through hurt, I’ve been through trial- now time to put it out in the open.

So I played.

Scales, arpeggios, etudes, charts, solos, quartets, full band, jazz- I played.

You see, music flows from my fingers, not from my legs!

I can do it all, nothing’s holding me back, the audience even begs!

I am a strong musician, with legs not so strong

But who cares!  They’ve made me who I am, and helped me find where I belong. 

I’ve done it, I’m accomplished!  I’ve proved everyone wrong

I love myself, my life, I wouldn’t change a thing

What you see as flaws, I see as flawless.  They’ve made me amazing!