@AnnyJ, @Katie L, @JohnG  - thank you all !

And specifically JohnG - I appreciate your words, that is precisely the intent (oh, and it will hopefully get better as my skills improve!)   In most of the tunes I've written, I try to make it "feel" as if the music were a story-teller relating a tale to an assembled audience, bringing in changes in speed-of-the narration, volume, intensity of the spoken words, little "unexpected twists in the tale" and so on - in an effort to engage with, and retain the attention and interest of the listeners !  If I achieve that (or a similar) engagement with a tune I've written, even in some small way, then it makes it all worthwhile !!!!