Curtain Call
To overcome others is strong.
To overcome oneself is the will of power.
I try to convince myself
That I am the best actress to ever walk the earth,
And that the hole concaving in my chest
Is simply a understudy for my sadness.
To overcome others is strong.
To overcome oneself is the will of power.
The auditions turned into opening night,
And Act I flowed over into Act II,
And the darkness never faded from the cast list.
The light never gets the chance to shine through the curtains
And I wonder if this intermission will ever end
And if the play will ever continue.
To overcome others is strong.
To overcome oneself is the will of power.
Suddenly,
I hear clapping from the audience,
Similar to a thunderstorm forming over the Atlantic.
My inner self stands up from their seat,
Applauding me,
Yelling, “The show must go on!”
The plush, velvet curtains are pulled back,
And the once scuffed stage is now freshly polished.
The actors enter stage right,
Putting on the best performance of their career.
To overcome others is strong.
To overcome oneself is the will of power.
-inspired by the Tao Te Ching, chapter 33.
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