To open my mouth and sing
better than anyone in the room
was my first-sprung talent.
I honed and perfected the skill through lessons and training
but it was always there, raw and ready to be mined
       I never had to work to dig it out.
       (except that one time I had to perform Puccini)
Such a misleading way
to start out in the world.
It’s still a gratifying party trick to unveil
I still like an audience
but I don’t delude myself
       …there’s no prowess in a lucky formation of vocal cords and effective breath control.

Now approaching 50
I picked up a ukulele
and immediately understood what it meant
       to be an awkward beginner
       with no natural advantage or artistry.
A year later, as I take pride in the calluses that have solidified on my fingertips,
I still confuse the chords
fumble the strumming
wonder why I’m putting myself through this.
I lean on songs that I can sing along with
though even this voice can’t overshadow my plodding playing
and I know
I’ve got to work for it this time.