Behind the Lights by Madison Van Buskirk 

The air is cold but my heart is warm

The stage is vast with peering eyes

I move swiftly through the moment

I escape to the light of the sun 

 

I stare into the mysterious layer beaming onto me

What could be beyond those lights?

Thoughts race through my head in seconds

I am prepared to perform, wanting to wonder 

 

The movement of an arm, the precision of a head 

I tell a story beyond words with each step

Though I can not gaze beyond the lights

There is a presence past the glow. 

 

With the final bow, the lights are dimmed

Rows, and rows, seats, and seats

Each eye chooses my focus

I have returned to the other side of the glow  

 

I recognize a smile

It feels like home and midnight movies

With love, support, and care

I can now see behind lights