Practice Doesn't Make Perfect | Teen Ink

Practice Doesn't Make Perfect

February 13, 2010
By DaniW PLATINUM, New Bern, North Carolina
DaniW PLATINUM, New Bern, North Carolina
29 articles 1 photo 31 comments

Favorite Quote:
People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.<br /> By Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross


1, 2, 3, 4, arm up, slip back, leg out and tap
5, 6, 7, 8, extend, point, bring in and sp- oh crap
Stop she yells as I mess up once more
Looking down at me as I get up off the floor
You’d never tell I’ve been trying for weeks
I’ve turned the Waltz of Flowers into the Waltz of Freaks
Try it again, from the top she calls out
Leg in tighter and spin, ending with a walkout
I take my place center stage and wait for the cue
Going over in my head exactly what I should do
I get through most of the routine before I slip up
I sigh in defeat maybe I should give up
Listen to me says my instructor don’t bailout
I’ve seen you do beautifully once you lose doubt
Relax and stop agonizing about what could go wrong
Don’t just move to the music, become one with the song
I confess in a whisper but I have stage fright
What will everyone think if I mess up that night?
Don’t worry about the audience, dance for you
If you feel it in yourself, they’ll feel it too
Now go home and practice, but don’t fret
Truly listen to the beat and you will forget
Forget you fears and let yourself free
Find inside what you’re meant to be
Finished with speaking she walked away
To leave me alone in my mood of gray
All through the rest of the day I kept in mind
The words she told me and I tried to unwind
I thought constantly about the advice I’d been given
Yet with so many mess-ups my spirit was riven
The harder I tried, the worse I became
I gave up at last feeling the shame
I promised her but I couldn’t take anymore
My eyes overflowed as I dropped to the floor
After all the hard work the show would be maimed
Sinking lower I realized that I would be blamed
But I’d already known this deep down inside
I had already lost my confidence, my fire and pride
I knew it was my fault and would not be hiding
For I understood that after hours of trying
The steps and my movements were just one big conflict
I considered myself proof that practice doesn’t make perfect


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