Closing Night

Closing night

It’s closing night,
And we are getting ready
For the final show.
There’s a feeling of nostalgia in the air;
Heavy,
Painful.
The pain with her strong arms,
Pulling our hearts back to this very moment,
While the rest of our bodies move further and further away.

Now we sit in our dressing room,
And wear our cremes and clothes.
Wondering if this will be
The best part of our lives,
Or the part nothing else could live up to.
But one thing is for sure,
If we die tonight,
We go the right way.

It’s closing night.

Doesn’t matter that Tom’s uncle
Is fast asleep in the first row.
Or that Jeremy’s’ aunt is
Clapping at the wrong parts.
Because tonight is ours.

It’s closing night.

We are in the wings,
And we feel the lightness
Of flying onto stage.
It rushes by in a cacophony
Of colours and shapes.

It’s closing night.

We sit, soak it in.
“Who’s gonna do it”
You ask.
“I will .”
I answer
I stand with the weight like rocks in my pocket
Trying to convince me to sit back down.
Telling me
“Just stay a little longer.”
“Sit, have a cup of coffee.”
It’s warm here.
But I know if I sit back down I’ll never leave.
It’s the feeling,
Of closing your eyes in the morning,
Just resting them lightly,
Heavy eyelids begging to be rested
But I must resist.

I walk up to the door.

And lock it.
One final glance
A hard stop, a soul crushing end.
And as I look around at all of you,
I wonder if I will remember you.
Or will I pass you by on the street,
Like a stranger.
Like all of this didn’t just happen.
It’s closing night.
What are we going to do next?
 I place a gentle kiss on the ground.
While walking away with whatever stride I have left
In my step.
I close my eyes