My palms are sweating
My knees are shaking
My breathing is coming
In ragged gasps

Dread
Fear
Apprehension

I have swallowed a bird
It's in a frenzy
It's wings flutter against my insides
It's cries ring in my ears

Anxiety
Tension
Panic

My eyes are sore
My scalp is itchy
My shoulders stiff
I have to use the bathroom

“Onstage!”

The dreaded word!
It sears my ears
Pounding in my head

The world spins as I stand
My mind draws blank
Time slows down
All is muted

I walk across the stage
Past the instructor
Past my friends
Past my rivals

It's all or nothing

I take my place
The curtain lifts
Music flows
I close my eyes

It's time

My feet begin to move
With the rhythm of the song

Calm
Clarity
Certainty

As I dance
To the Irish tune
Something changes

Confidence
Joy
Energy

My spirit soars
The bird is free
We spread our wings
And celebrate

Gleeful

We swoop
We soar
We dive
We leap
We live

The music slows
The world steadily comes back in focus

We fold our wings
Our soul is calm
We bow
It's over


But
As the curtain falls
The spark still flies
A new determination pulses through my blood

I can do anything