is improvement forward motion?

press the keys and hear the strings
the sound of the music is sweet
even when the ivory sticks
and random notes fall flat.
your ears adjust to the discord
and your fingers grow accustomed
to those stubborn notes.
but something still tells you
that this isn't the way
things were meant to sound
and dirty keys get set out
next to the curbside clutter
where they finally fit in
and the smooth, black, lacquered
surfaces of your new purchase
have a new room to call home.
you press the keys and hear the strings
the sound of music is still sweet
and the fluid fingertips feel fine
but there's a part of you
that longs for the chords to tremble
and for your fingers to fight
with the old stubborn keys
that you thought you couldn't stand
but you grew so accustomed to.