The Stage

I creep out onto the startlingly bright stage
As my eyes take time to adjust
To the blinding light
It reminds me of heaven
As if I’ve found it on earth
Music plays distantly in the background
A familiar tune
My body shakes uncontrollably
And as my heart rattles around in my chest
I feel it tapping a rhythm
That sounds vaguely familiar
But I can’t place it
Suddenly the atmosphere changes
The isolated place I stand
Fills and empties
As the thick curtain raises
Though faces surround me
My body becomes void of emotion
I stand there waiting for the music to end
It does
Something inside me I didn’t know was there
Gushes out
Lines and words implanted in my brain
Take life
Molding me into a different person
My character
They’re second nature
All I have to do now
Is act
My expressions
Emotions
Tone
Don’t convey my inward self
Rehearsed actions and motions take over
As my mind flutters along in a daze
Always a line behind
My fantasy starts to fade
Everything becomes more vivid
My time is almost up
Inwardly I cry for more
All I have left is one thing
My song
As the music begins to fill my head
And my mouth pours open
With words and syllables
That all mean so much to my character
So therefore me
I finally realize the beat of my heart