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Poetry: Auditioning

by Paige Pfannenstiel

I wait in line,
A long line,
And wait for my chance,
To be center stage.

And in my mind,
I wasn't me,
For I must travel back,
To a different time.

And as I inch further,
Up the long line,
I think,
And i listen to others rehearsing.

But in my mind, there is only me,
In my mind, I can be anyone,
Juliet, A creature, an elf,
And the spirit of magic,
A different kind of magic,
Is around me.

And as I step onto the stage,
A very large stage,
I audition for the play,
For the lead role.

I draw myself up,
And I strut with ease,
I throw back my head,
And speak from my heart.

And I fly across the stage,
Laughing and weeping,
Auditioning for the one part,
I wanted to play.

And I was no longer on the dusty stage,
And there was no longer anyone watching,
And there were no more waiting,
It was only me.

I was back in a forest,
A dark forest,
And I was under the ocean,
A blue ocean.

And I was a bird,
Flying through the air,
And I was a wolf,
Swift through the trees,
And I was a dragon,
Fierce with fire,
And I was a dolphin,
Swimming in the deep blue.

And i sang with my heart,
About the world around me,
And I danced with my soul,
For the spirits around me.

Then it dissolved,
I was back on the stage,
And I looked at the people...watching,
And said my last words: For hope.

Then I took a low bow,
And I walked off,
Still holding the gazes of everyone,
Still holding my head high,
Back again, anywhere, anyone.

The line slowly moved,
The judges slowly criticized,
The children slowly left,
Until I was the last one.

And the judge came to me.
And the judge spoke to me,
And the judge complimented me,
And the judge said I was in.

I can be anyone,
I can be anywhere,
I can audition,
I did audition.

And I made the part,
And I made my dream,
And I made myself,
Be anything.

Helium, Inc.
200 Brickstone Square Andover, MA 01810 USA