The Velvet Curtain

Breathe. The breath she takes is deep; her blush red lips quiver from the thought of the moment approaching. The light shines down the curtains edge, illuminating the velvet texture. Suddenly everything becomes bright and the colors heighten in contrast, revealing the beauty of all that is. She can feel her heart pulsating in finger tips as she raises her hand to touch the soft velvet curtain. Her focus tunes in; she drowns out the music from the performance on stage. Her mind goes back to the days, weeks, months, years of practice and the diligence it has taken to get to where she now stands. This is the moment she has been waiting for.

As she stands at the lights edge, she looks down at the slick black charcoal floor noticing the markings and scuffs from the many performances before. Each scuff tells a story of courage, passion, authenticity and risk. The risk to be authentic and the courage to express it. She can feel the pure emotion that moves throughout theater. The type of emotion that pierces through the noise and elevates the sense of being. The allure to be part of a greater collective wells up inside her. The need to become more than the one, but of the many. She wants to bring the world a glimpse of something raw, something true, something real. Emotions begin to build up inside of her. She can feel the emotions of the stage; almost like it has a breath of its own. Suddenly pieces of her heart stream out, weaving an electric field all around her. Her energy becomes entangled in the moment. Her essence bleeds into the curtain and on to the stage, weaving in and out of the light as she becomes the tapestry of her surroundings. There is no separation. She becomes one with the magic of the now.

Breathe. She reminds herself. Pressing her lips together, she closes her eyes to take in the essence of all that is. Taking another deep breath, a smile gracefully emerges on her gently painted face as she anticipates the feeling she yearns for. Completeness. Desire. She tastes it on her lips and feels it pulsing at her finger tips. She gently loosens her shoulders, stands tall, and shakes her hair, fully aware she brings herself back to the now. At this moment everything seems to slow down. She notices the dust in the air as it floats in slow motion through the rays that pour down from above while softly shifting hue to the sound of the music. She experiences the pause of the universe that happens the exact moment before stepping on to the stage. She blinks as she comes back to center, waking herself from this ethereal state. Emotions cascade filling her heart, but the feeling of desire screams louder than the rest! The desire to be desired! The desire to feel - to feel anything at all! This is what she yearns for…to be object of desire. To feel real alive and important. This is why she stands backstage waiting to prove herself again and again, tirelessly toiling to fill the darkened void.

The vast weight of the curtain is the only threshold separating the present and future of time and space. She feels comfort behind the shroud of the crimson veil, yet she knows that this moment of euphoria will come to an swift end and she will be exposed to the world as the curtain is raised.

The desire to be desired pulls at her like the gravity of a moth to the flame. Overwhelmed she withdraws back into the shadows. She begins to replay the steady memory of the moment about to occur. Step by step, flowing into the dance of the performance. The weight of her dress becomes heavy; she gathers the fabric and clings to it grasping for assurance. She looks around as if she is waiting for something or someone to take her hand to hold her, to assure her that she is desired.

Breathe. She gently releases her dress, stretching her fingers to relieve the pressure, and breathes deeply once more. She pulls closer to the plush warm curtain and feels the texture of the soft, beautiful fabric -it reminds her to stay steady. She sees it as a reflection of her beauty and strength. Standing in her magnificence, she feels her legacy calling, as if it is her birthright. To bring her energy to the present moment as a gift to the collective. It is now her choice to step out from the comfort of the shadow and into the beckoning light. Her courage builds and she knows that the risk is worth the reward. Like waves of sound on an endless journey across the universe, each step she takes will echo in the minds of all who have come and last eternally in their hearts.

The crowd stands & cheers in ovation as the act comes to a close. The dark velvet curtain drops with grace of a perfect sunset, and gives way to the performers.

It’s time. She begins to take her first steps onto the slick black charcoal stage. Each step she takes feels weighted, as if she is walking through deep water. The stage is dark and empty as she gently takes her pose and breathes. A stillness begins in her heart and she starts to remember who she is. The creator of her destiny. The goddess of the light. The embodiment of courage, strength, and beauty. A spark of her essence pours from her heart and covers the stage in light “I am here,” she says to herself as the curtain raises slowly. The crowd cheers in excitement for the unknown, and in a blink of the eye the moment passes.

Pausing to take in the moment for everything that it is. Her heart calms, as she yearns for more, another taste of desire as she finds herself once again, behind the velvet curtain.