Next

I'm nervous

And I'm scared.

Meeting new people -

Not my thing.

I can be outgoing

I can be anyone they want me to be

Anyone who will be liked

But me

I will thrive

All aspects of myself

Thriving

I'm so excited

Excited to step onstage

Onto the stage I love but don't know very well

Excited for long rehearsals

Chapped lips

Aching fingers

Understanding

Being pushed

Challenged

Oh my god I want to be challenged

Hour after hour after hour 

Anticipating

Longing for 

Craving

Sundays

Being around people like me

Who care

Who care a lot

And who matter and who are going to matter

I will matter one day.

I'm so determined

To make them

All of them

Fall in love with me.

The audience.

I want to be loved by people I do not know

I want them to ache with the sound

I want them to feel

Feeling is a gift

I want to give each and every one of them

And of course it won't be just me

But I am so grateful

To be a part of this.

I can't wait to see what happens next.