The stage. The lights. The silence.

They waited as I stepped up and parted my lips.

My heart racing, my hands trembling.

The stage, though familiar felt unnatural

It was as if I had stepped into a foreign land

I had stood in this place one thousand times before.

In the familiar arms of my friends and conductor,

My heart raced -  as I stood before the microphone.

The lights, bright, yet I could still see their faces.

The faces of people I loved, and people I have never met before.

They looked up at me in anticipation.

My heart raced – fear of embarrassment, fear of failure.

The silence, the dreaded silence.

So thick it was I felt as if I was trudging mud

I turned to the pianist and nodded

My heart raced as the silence broke.