Caged

My chest is heavy, heart racing

Foot tapping, fingers twitching

Breathing slow, time dragging

This is the moment

Lips dry, cheeks red

Stay calm… they said

Flutter, flap, in my chest

Restless birds

Butterflies in my stomach

Shivers on my skin

Nerves all a tingle

Caged, kept within

Trapped, silent, tamed

Safe, dark inside

Time to let them sing

This is the moment

Breathing slow, time gone

Feet moving, curtain lifting

Chest aflutter, voice ready

Heart keeping beat

Palms sweaty, lights bright

Seeing nothing beyond the stage

All alone, ready to burst

Open my mouth… silence

Nothing comes out

Panic, for but a moment

Will they fail me?

Will my birds not sing?

The sound rises up

The caged beasts react

To a moment of freedom

A breath of fresh air

They burst into song

They fill the room

I fill the room with sound

This is the moment

This is my moment

And they are my sound

Caged within me

Trapped, kept safe, protected

This is my moment

To let them shine

My moment to free them

Some things are meant to be caged

But everything has a voice

And even the caged bird sings