They know renditions legends played,
how far melodic strains have strayed
from simple trills to risky scales.

They've heard Coltrane go off the rails
and Armstrong float the highest tones,
Fitzgerald scat, old gramophones

of Sarah soaring song to song,
and Miles flying all night long.
And they've played Basie, Dizzy, Ray,

Marsalis, Duke, and Holiday.
Somehow you're next: blue suit, guitar,
well-practiced, traveled rather far,

auditioning to state your case
with beads of sweat upon your face
as you begin to finger strings

and wipe your mind of many things
to find the rhythm, improvise,
and make it new before old eyes.