Performance Tonight

​Written  after  seeing  Ballet  5:8's  world  premiere  production  of  Scarlet.

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A noise! Which sound? And this, I welcome hearing it, none more important than it sent,

            This is the coming of the crowd, the hundreds, come to watch, and me – Yes! me to see;

I have worked, and worked again, to their pleasure sought, now come the time, to present

            What in this hour, in this moment, have so struggled, ready, ready, now to give, to be –

                        There is a Performance Tonight, part of it self mine, all have I will it take,

                        Help me my God, to honor You, and they that the noise now make!

 

Believing, beginning, the place where I started was believing, the something ne’er before did try,

            But I wanted – wanted! – my own this challenge, see the feat in mirror done, risk fail,

An act of making, of delighting as I make, of showing myself, impress, yes, first to show was I

            To me, that skilléd was, yes, not desire alone, but gift, what few with me’d entail,

      Say, I will learn, will learn to take one step, ‘nother then, travel all the long, long way

      To this, to this night, and to this people coming in, toward me – me, their ‘musement sway – 

                        Welcome the sound! The noise of people, hear them, for them all it shall be,

                        This coming of the crowd, so many, come to watch movement, story moves to see;

Performance Tonight, of what I am a part, and ready to touch them now,

                                    To honor You, God, to gladden them, and in me all to do it, showing how!

 

What did the journey to this eve, what did my remembering, hours to this, portray?

            As, in mind, in mind so full, review all done I so endurèd, mostly most gladly so –

The day, following day, of study, practice, try better, aim high each time, wish hear say,

            Say the Mistress, “Exactly!”, “That is it,” the flowèd movement and the stopped, the slow,

      Would there were not the bad times on these feet, another life part interfering,

      But the next time, was well all, sour day forgotten, and the blessings of Heaven appearing!

                        The excited sound, the people are entering, talking about how will be,

                        And the answer is here in body, in heart, in practice, in my soul . . . in me –

Performance Tonight, of this I am a part, and gladden’d that shall see,

                                    What we all for have striv’n, out to enchant, upward Glorify, may it so be!

 

My head, how full of images, but now none, but ‘gain every moment lived for this to occur,

            On the path, trailing aspiration, desire, dream unattainable, then dream now truly seen,

The heart, close bursting comes, that I have reached this time, this place, this self knowing sure,

            Will this night I take to many other hearts, to them brimming with work mine’s sheen,

            Of my efforts long, of succeeding, of all of me, given to them, my own thoughts true,

            And a triumph expected from surrender, my surrender, to these people – and, God, to You!

The sound most wanted, people wait, wait for lifted spirit, challenged mind,

And come to me, and here, and at this tolling, this full savoring to find –

                                    And so Performance Tonight, task in grip, beside me they who stand,

                                    Who helped me, and thanks God loved me, together will make this grand!