A Poem about a Talent Show

The TV talent show has become an ingrained feature of modern day viewing. Every year, hundreds of thousands of hopefuls around the world turn up with hopes and dreams of stardom. Many are talented, a few will go on to become the next 'big thing'. A lot will be blinkered to their own reality. X Factor; Britain's Got Talent, America's Got Talent....they are all magnets for the dreamers, the hopefuls and the truly talented just trying to find a break. Here is my poem, written to reflect one girl's audition experience....

The Talent Show Audition

She arrived at the talent show

With dreams as big as the sky,

So mad and wild; never ending,

This her one chance to fly

Fly to the moon, fly to the stars

Everything pinned on one moment.

The world has stopped; the future hides,

She can't fail now; can't blow it

She stands there in her rock chick clothes -

Black biker jacket, big earrings,

With scarlet lips and knee high boots

And prays she'll be able to sing

Will the hand of fate let her rise?

Or just send her back to the shop -

Serving tourists lunch and stuff

Till tired legs want to drop

It's not that she minds the people,

More the lack of steps to ascend -

Nowhere to go, nowhere to grow,

She's suddenly overwhelmed

So here she is, a microphone

Forced in her face - what's her name?

She's still in the queue, they want to know

Why has she entered this game?

And she tells them how she feels -

Her life, not moving at all

And how she yearns for the big time,

She has done since she was small

Thousands of wanabee hopefuls

All fighting to be the one -

For most of them, right here, right now,

It's a journey almost done

There's a boy in a hat; ripped jeans

And he says he thinks he can win,

That the world has waited too long

For a chance to hear him sing

That God has blessed him with a gift

And all his friends say he's awesome,

Then he opens his mouth to prove it -

Out comes a painful contortion

They call her number, three nine one,

She breathes in deep, she's shaking.

It means so much, she's always known

Life is a dream in the making

She steps on-stage, the hushed room waits

And the judges smile politely.

A lot to get through, keep moving -

Not much time for niceties

But one of the judges gets it -

She says that she was there once,

There on a stage, just dreaming,

Making a fist for the punch

She starts to sing, trepidation

Wavers her voice, shakes her song,

Then she closes her eyes, forgets,

The music helps her belong

Sends her off to another world

Just like when she's singing at home,

It's a place of hope; of magic

And she's in it all alone

She ends to the sound of clapping

One judge gets up out of his seat,

Says she's a star in the making,

That she could be one to beat

Another judge says she's edgy,

So current and right for today.

Then they vote and they all say 'yes'

She chokes, so hard she had prayed

So she goes through to the next round,

Though of course the contest goes on.

So many dreams here, intertwined,

One day here, the next it's all gone

And the boy with the hat is sour,

He thought he was heading for fame.

He kicks at the door as he leaves,

He's looking for someone to blame