the lights dim
as you take the stage.
I wait in the wings
with a quiet smile
watching you stitch your effortless charm
into the seams of the room.
silence.
then
the final flourish.
thunderous applause.
the whole audience leaps to their feet
entranced
believing they got the best of you tonight.
they don't see what I see.
you bow
basking in the glow
before stepping out of the spotlight.
when your eyes find mine
I already know where we're going.
for me
you open the door to your dressing room
with
costumes hung in the closet
the musky trace of cologne in the air
and a warm halo spilling from the bulb lights.
the walls still hum faintly
with the lingering awe
of your showgoers
but in here
we both know we don't have to perform.
in front of me
you let your guard fall
piece by piece
until you're more human
than before.
with you
I can be
present.
unrehearsed.
savoring the closeness
that can only exist
after the curtain falls.
I don't know what I did
to earn the privilege of standing here
in your sacred space
but I'd like to stay
for as long as you'll let me.
--K. Rowan, 21/11/2025
Theme : Others -- Acceptance