Stage Fright

Stage Fright

Every days an empty stage
Just waiting to be filled
Regardless of the roles we've played,
The sets and props we build
To populate our empty space
A hollow in the room
Where colours fill this vacant place
A spotlight in the gloom
A head that turns, a brilliant smile
A flash of what could be
Leather, lace and wool for miles
We craft the things we see
We try to shape an image round
To set the scene a light
With scenery we've lost and found
… and found and lost all night
With memories of yesterdays
Performances long past
Stage fright looms with lines delayed
and characters miscast
With plots and stories lost in verse
To fill an awkward pause
Our stories often steer worse
For the oddest twist or cause
With every day a fresh debut
A finite act, refrain
From stages left or right, anew
We exit just the same
With plot points built on errant lines
And subtext never read
Be wary how your roles defined
… be sure your script is read