On the eve of my greatest performance
And my lines are lost to me.
I have no countrymen,
I have no home,
Only the ever-coming dawn.
My mouth is dry
And words no longer run their swift course
Through mind and tongue.
I will say, "I see" and "I see"
Nodding my head in amiable accord
Dead words falling on dead ears.
I should say, "You are lovely" and "You are lovely"
A thousand times over
As if confessing my deepest sin.
Your name would be my rosary,
My atonement, my grace,
A penitent word in penitent heart.
But dive into Oblivion, I must,
Searching for speech and sentiment
For I am an actress, and my stage will not wait.
