Middle School Plays

The crowd comes in like a strorm.

First they trickle in,

then they come pouring in-creating a flood.

The more people that enter the hall,

the more my anxiety grows.

Breathes become short.

Temperatures seem to increase.

Pools are created in my hands.

Heart beats pound like a war drum,

preparing myself for a battle I could not see myself winning.

It is almost my turn to make an appearance, but my feet remain planted.

It is almost as if I am stuck in a trance.

Voices become quiet,

everything is blurry-nothing is in focus.

I close my eyes.

I breathe in deep

and exhale slowly.

I focus on my lines and cues.

I reassure myself of the famous quote-

"Only thing we have to fear is fear itself".

It was not that I was afraid of being in front of many people,

or forgetting my lines,

or even making a complete fool of myself, but rather the idea of fearing all of these things.

All of a sudden, 

the monster of my emotions begin to grow smaller.

Eventually, 

my breathing becomes normal,

my heart beat slows,

the temperature is not as hot,

and my hands are no longer clammy. 

Everything goes back into focus,

and the show goes on.