My American Song

I sing out, trying to harmonize with a greater American voice,
but my tone doesn't meld;
my pitch is off by only fractions of a half step,
yet it rings out deconstructively, creating an unpleasent sound.

I try to correct, yet everytime I do,
it seems as if the greater voice
has shifted again:
one step down,
one step up.

I try every pitch I know to fit this cacophony
It sounds so beautiful without me
but with my voice added
Harmony is broken,
tension is created.

One day I finally sing out a pitch that fits the
Harmony.

But I don't like the sound of my own voice.
It doesn't sound like my own
I hear the greater unity of our voices
But now it is no longer beautiful to my ear.

So I sing out my own pitch,
still hearing the overall voice,
knowing it doesn't quite meld,
but confident in my own.

Somehow it is still a cacophony
there is still tension,
but finally,

It's beautiful.