Rhymes in the Dark
You look outside the window of your apartment and sigh. Despite the bustling energy of urban life, today was just another mundane and tedious day spent at home. But despite that, you rise from bed with excitement to dress for something special; you have been waiting all week for this event - a poetry recital that many other well-known wordsmiths would be attending. After getting ready in pressed slacks, a tailored blazer, and freshly polished shoes, you grab your bag containing notebooks full of poems that you had worked so diligently on preparing for tonight’s show.
Nervously exiting the door into crowded streets filled with chattering people, you stride toward the venue, a poetry café noted for its fancy décor and celebrated poets. As you enter through the threshold, your eyes are drawn to an array of vibrant colors coming from a backlit stage with ornate tapestries and scented candles glowing in each corner of the room. The seats fill up fast as the crowd buzzes with anticipation, eager to witness the evening’s main act. Excitement radiates in the air as conversations halt and all eyes are focused on the stage, a feeling of suspense and electricity building in anticipation of what’s to come.
Taking a seat in the poets’ section, you survey your surroundings, feeling a wave of apprehension wash over you as you noted the other poets’ air of confidence and poise. As a newcomer to this crowd, you sit back, masking your fears by burying your face in your notebook as you wait for your turn to perform.
The emcee announces your name and you feel the anticipation in the air. With a deep breath to calm your nerves, you apprehensively approach the microphone and ready yourself to speak. As soon as the first few words of your poem escape your lips, something inside of you clicks - it’s like being instantly surrounded by an invisible blanket of warmth and security; all eyes are fixated on yours as if they can sense that this moment is special.
Your poem slowly builds in rhythm and confidence, pausing between each line to let the crowd take it in.
“A poem of courage, a light apace,
A source of power in a troubled place.
To find the strength to look within,
I search for hope and peace begins.
The darkness falls so cold and grey,
But one thing with you will always stay.
One spark of love can rise above,
And fill our lives with gentle love.
Resilience strong it never fails,
It guides us when our lives hit gales.
Sweet harmony nurtures our soul,
And sparks new growth around each goal!”
As you conclude your masterpiece, a hush falls over the room that is soon broken by widespread cheers and applause. A broad smile spreads across your face as you take in the uplifting expressions in the audience, moved by your courage and passion. You savor this adulation for a bit before finally exiting the stage. The cheering gradually quiets down, replaced with compliments from those around you as you return to your seat.
