Ready primed muses
Harsh white canvases
Subdued instruments
Tipped on their seats
Uneven lines
Beats out of step
Songbird's notes
Heckling off key
Hands in a shiver
Audience faced forward
Music caught in nets
Frozen fingers
Chest in a clamp
Silence hovering
Thick in the air

Paint drips
Heart flips
Brush without oil
Mind in turmoil