The Stage
The stage is my friend.
My home.
Ironic really…
A hardcore introvert,
I hate interacting with humans.
The stage is different.
On it, I am different.
I am so many different people.
I am confident, I am cunning, I am innocent…
I am part of something bigger.
I am all that I can’t otherwise be.
Somewhere,
At the periphery of my consciousness,
I am aware of the audience.
Strangely they hold no threat.
I know they will love me;
At least the me that I portray on stage.
The stage
My home
A safe place for my alter ego.
An intoxication
A delirious fever.
A sense of perfect union.
I belong!
The stage
Where I can be more than myself
© Sunita Saldhana
This post is in response to the prompt “Stagte” on Fiction Mondays by Vinitha Dileep. It was oringinally written for a prompt given by #YouMe&Poetry on 11th July 2024.
Corinne Rodrigues
This I understand. I have always felt at home on a stage too!
Modern Gyspy
I can relate to this sentiment! It takes me a bit to get comfortable on stage, but once I do, I’m pretty comfortable there.
Anamika Agnihotri
Hating interacting with people as a hardcore introvert – I identify with this. I never took the stage so I can’t say from my experience. Tucked away at home is what I prefer.
Vinitha
This poem captures the beautiful contradiction of an introvert finding solace and transformation on stage. The way you describe the stage as a home, a place where you can be so many different versions of yourself, resonates deeply. I love how you explore the freedom it brings—almost like a space where boundaries blur, and you become part of something greater. Beautifully written poem, Sunita. It’s like you were on a stage in these lines, right here.
Sunita
Thanks so much Vinitha!