Stage Fright

By Emma Applegarth

as i look out to the crowd
there are vague silhouettes of strangers staring up at me
the stage lights unapologetically blurring them from my sight
when i notice a flickering inside the empty room inside my brain
freezing in anticipation, i wait for it to hit
realizing soon that i recognize the presence
it was an old friend, indeed, presenting itself at the most inconvenient time
that’s when i’m struck with fear
paralyzing in place as the friend comes into view
morphing into an unwelcome enemy
my knees buckle at the sight, my breath stopping in my throat
i can feel it reach through all of me
yanking at all the wrong places
and, as if in unison, i can feel the strangers eyes burn into me
watching me unravel at the seams