11 years old

My eyes widen
as I stride into the Grand Opera house.
The deep, dark, velvet curtains welcome me home,
To a place I never knew existed
A wave of emotion,
I couldn’t dare put into words
No amount of steady breathing
Could slow the racing pace of my heart,
Starting to pull me into the theater
Instead of paying attention to North’s production of Shrek
I closed my eyes and dreamed of the day
I would be on that stage

12 years old

I mark off the dates on my calendar
Until February 9th, 2016
A field trip to see The Sound Of Music
Falling into the uncomfortable front seat
The bright lights, just above my head
The dusty air filling my lungs
Listening, learning, loving
Every song and every line
Trying to memorize every detail
So I could hit rewind, and replay
The day I remembered
I belonged on that stage

13 years old

Crazy For You
My sister’s first musical
I close my eyes, and keep my mind open
Imagining the road I’d take
To get make it exactly where she is now
With each time I went
An emptiness filled my joyful tears
A fear that I would fail
A fear that my passion would be overcome with anxiety
A fear that I wouldn’t be enough
To stand up on that stage
To do what I know I’d love

14 years old

Waiting one more minute.
The clock in the corner of my phone hits 3:20
I slowly open the cast list of The Addams Family
The first step into the rest of my life
My eyes widen
as I stride into the Grand Opera house.
The deep, dark, velvet curtains welcome me home,
To a place I never knew all too well
A wave of emotion,
I couldn’t dare put into words