"STAGED FRIGHT"

The accoutrements were few
So little for so much a job
Can't really tell why I'm doing this
The pay, the thrill, or the rep?

My shadow became my scarecrow
I am afraid of my own self
What I have become
And what may become of me

I swept around to gather courage
But my courage itself was too timid
And the void room was filled
With nothing but trepidation

I voyaged briskly to the setting
This fairytale was becoming real
Other characters were not in play
All scared of the dreaded monster

I got in character and played out the role
Act after act, just like I rehearsed
I reached out for another script
It took me just a second to play it out
I am just this good at this
But stage fright repressed my courage

I drew my sword in wait
for the ogre to slay and decapitate
but the monster never showed
the gruesome beast never roared

the tempest of my fear condensed
the tumult of my agita reposed
not every fairytale got a monster
and it came to me that it was all
...much ado for absolutely nothing

Image source: https://goo.gl/images/9jxKtZ