A Poem for Young Actors

Because today I will sit in the wings,

nervous and anxious for what is to come

biting my nails and running my fingers through my hair—

waiting is like a burden

a burden that just keeps pushing you down

until you have nothing to give when it is over—

and because yesterday I sat on my bed

racing my eyes back and forth across the page,

trying to retain the countless words

all clumped together into a monstrous mass

staring me down,

willing me to fail;

me attempting to bold it in my brain

with the help of a yellow tool

soaking the page

and because in a few minutes,

when I walk out onto the stage

and the spotlight is shining in my face

and I see all of their expecting faces,

I know something will click

and in that moment, a wave of confidence will wash over me

and nobody’s opinion matters anymore.