Hush, Hush
The house must be open
The crew will scurry
Like bats awoken

The actors in their room
With bulbs spitting bright light
All getting ready
For the big night

On their faces
They wear masks
To give birth to the character
They have hatched
Masks of makeup
To help their story be told
Wrinkles for the old
Strong cheekbones for the bold

Hush, Hush
It’s almost time
For the call of “places”
And to start the climb

The stage,
A sacred place
Where the present time stops
Where the story’s time takes its place

A roar of voices behind the grand drape
The pressure seeps in
Through your temples
And down your nape
It plunks into your stomach
Where the butterflies flutter
And try to escape

Run to the mirror
And behold,
Not a nervous face reflected
But a character waiting for her story to be told

Then,
The curtain opens
And you feel a warm glow
Surrounding you in a blanket
And you never want to go

All regret that may have existed
Has drained away to almost nothing
And purpose has persisted

For as he claps,
Exits through the house doors,
Drives home with his family,
And walks familiar floors
If I’ve done my job right
He’ll lay awake in his bed
With the story we’ve told
Still dancing in his head.