The Stage

It's the place that
I fear the most yet
where I yearn to succeed
where I feel comfortable
yet subjected to the
comment and opinion
of others

It enables me to express myself
and portray the part of
someone else
at the same time

It is the place
where magic happens
tears are shed
laughs and smiles occur
tempers are let loose
pressure and nerves abound
stress is present in every form

It's an empty canvas
awaiting the painter
a pile of wood ready to
be made into a house
a doll wanting to
play with a child
a new guitar
waiting for someone to tune it
a teacher on their first day
awaiting students
a chalkboard without
its white powdry letters
an empty book
its pages waiting to be filled

This is the place to be
the place to be
who you are
or someone else

Puck, Juliet, Maria
from Shaekespeare
the large nosed Cyrano
a seemingly innocent old lady
who poisons old men
Jane, Emma, or Lizzy
from Jane Austen
even Earnest
from Oscar Wilde

As the curtain goes up
and the lights come on
and your makeup freezes your face
and your costume is a bit too small
you realize
THIS IS ACTING!