From different entrances they approach
the stage, un-rehearsed, nervous.
Double-billed as lead players
they open the first act,
striving; failing; hating; loving.
Forming a bitter-sweet symphony
backed by the chorus of their family ties,
they pace the stage, hand in hand.
Treading the boards of married life,
the drama unfolds, the curtain
rises and falls on each day…
every scene, the plot changes.
Improvisation conceals the faltering step,
drawing breath in the intervals
to refresh their supporting roles.
Slowly, the diamond years come to rest
in the delicate setting of their frailty.
The spotlight shifts to the understudies
waiting in the wings.
© Marion Sharville
Advertisements
Leave a Reply