The Audition

Your breathing is shallow,

you pace swiftly in the background waiting for your number to be called.

You hear muffled conversation from the room beside you,

the longer you sit there, the more anxious you become.

Finally, they call your number,

the voice of a young woman echoes through the narrow doorway, she calls 23.

You steadily approach the performance area,

you feel the sweat rolling off your palms, dripping on to the cold, wooden floor.

You reach for the script the lady is holding out to you,

she smells far too strongly of perfume.

She tells you that you are playing the role of Romeo, and to begin when ready.

You stand there, nervous, shaking,

you try to speak, but the words just won’t come out.

You swallow hard, and with a deep breath you begin.

Your mind is telling you that you won’t make it, you’re just not good enough.

You’re terrified, you stop speaking, and leave the room, without a goodbye,

without a thank you, without even finishing your audition.

You head home, ashamed of yourself,

maybe you really can’t do it, maybe, you really are worthless.

You stare at the ceiling, thinking, wondering what you’re going to do with your life.

Your phone lights up, you look down, and notice it was from the lady at the theatre.

You open the text, despite already knowing what it says.

 We’re sorry, but you didn’t get the part.

You’re crushed by those words,

you feel a force weighing down on you,

your heart thuds as if it’s about to burst from your chest.

Your screen lights up once more, you glance down,

thinking that you have nothing left to lose; you’ve already hit rock-bottom.

Again, it’s from her, but it’s not at all what you expected.

She tells you that you weren’t right for that part, but she is doing another performance,

and that she thinks you would be perfect in it.

You stare blankly at the phone, surprised,

when you hear a small voice in the back of your head,

and remember what your mama told you when you were young.

“Son, you know that you won’t always win,

you won’t be perfect for every role you’ve wanted.

Just because you don’t win, doesn’t mean you won’t win, you are good enough.”

Your eyes start to redden, as tears gently flow down your face,

you realize, she was right all along.

You look back to your phone, you start sending a message to the lady at the theatre,

all you write is thank you, and you smile, for the first time in forever, you smile.