Space to Dream

Today, before reading my poem, I invite you to read my post over @ Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads. In it, I share musings on poetry, writing & metaphor. The use of metaphor in language increases not only its beauty, but also its depth and power. It is no wonder to me that poetry is where we find metaphor in droves, whether concrete or abstract – it is the associations of words with images, sounds, smells & textures that makes it rich. Indeed, metaphor makes us aware of our own unique experiences. Suffice to say, I could write endlessly & perhaps complete a dissertation on the subject. While my post is unapologetically academic in tone, it isn’t for students alone – it’s for all humans who seek to know the world, what it means to them, and the myriad of ways in which we can express understanding through language.

My poem is also published in Space to Dream: Poems. I wrote it as a young woman, when I was embarking on the beginning of my journey in higher education as a music major. It is perhaps the largest metaphor that has shaped my life, for much of my experience has been either onstage or offstage in preparation for a performance. The stage, which may be a frightening space for some – has always been a place of refuge & safety to me. I close my eyes & feel a deep comfort in remembering the scent & feel of the curtains, that creaky spot in the backstage floorboards, the heat of the lights, the frenetic sounds of the orchestra tuning their instruments, the dust clouds in the prop room & the pitter-patter of dancers in soft shoe warming up.

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ISU Madrigals concert, Center for the Performing Arts, 2000

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These are some of the many performance memories I carry with me. I often joke that I could chart my life by the choirs that I’ve sung in and the theatres I’ve performed in, but there is truth in that jest. The time spent preparing for, as well as the performances themselves  – have become metaphors for my life just as the stage itself has, even at a time in my life when the offstage days of motherhood and writing have become my focus, with onstage performances becoming fewer.

My stage will always be there, all I have to do is look out into the light to see it.

Life is a Stage 

On my stage, time runs

unidentified

as I stand alone, content

to be with my music

It hold me with strong arms

that never let go.

On my stage, bright lights

blind me from seeing

those I know, and

I may be imperfect

but I am never wrong.

On my stage, I make the

decisions of who I want to be

and where I will go.

No one disagrees

and no one questions me.

On my stage

there is a foundation that holds me

when I doubt myself.

My music gives me confidence

it will never let me fall.

On my stage, I can only

go forward, I can only

become brighter

until I reach perfection

only then does the applause come.

On my stage, I will smile

my heart fulfilled

then the lights will dim

and I will walk from my stage,

happy.