THE WRONG AUDITION

You feel you have stumbled on your dancing feet, blind,
to a stage that is holding the wrong audition
for you.

Yet the actors cry out welcome with immaculate projection,
and think you share their vision, as you do,
yours still poor.

The director is the author, in this case, as should be,
and is thrilled to see a moldable mind of clay,
if not feet.

Disinclined to answer your slowly growing questions,
for needed truths lie hidden in the papyral script.
Not the truth.

You wish to speak your lines as and how you wish,
but the director and the writer will not bend
to your will.

Removed for all their good on opening night,
while a character's friends and family are waiting
in the dark.

They will cast someone who will speak their lines as written
and live it free of irony, dramatic or no -
you, no.

Open your theatre and write your flowing lines
all call to we who are blinded by their footlights
and lit dark.

1995/6

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