"Black and White" is a study on quatrains and is one of a series of poems in a book entitled The Arts, a work expressing my complete devotion to the arts, my passion for them, and the emotions they have evoked while changing my life. The book was written for a Reading class I took in eighth grade and went on to claim First Place at my high school's Academic Showcase in 2010.

This poem describes the rush I often get when I perform, particularly when I have played the piano. I can feel everyone's eyes on me, and I can feel so many different energies in the room. Excitement, anxiety, joy, fear--anything and everything, but it's all worth it in the end. And then when the auditorium becomes silent, I always anticipate how people will react to my performance. Ultimately this poem expresses what goes through my mind when I perform.