Full of life

I feel alive 
when the curtain opens
and the lights come up.
I can barely see the audience
but I can feel their eyes
watching me
as I whirl into motion
weaving a story 
out of words and actions
costumes and props.

My fellow actors 
share my joy
for we are in it together,
all embodying pieces
of a single story
like gears in a machine,
and together we manufacture 
an entertaining composition
of humor and sorrow
of laughing and weeping.

The audience claps
as we join together,
holding each other's trembling hands
we feel alive,
the applause and adrenaline
roaring in our ears
and as the curtain closes
we cheer
for our own success
and we are full of life.