I look up at her, there on the stage. Illuminated, lit up by the spotlights in the dark of the venue. And luminous, glowing. Somehow both at once; giving off light and basking in it. The band, the walls, everything, fades into insignificant shade.
It’s not a big venue, but the place is packed. And every eye is on her, on my girl. She’s tiny. Slim, short, yet she seems to fill the whole stage. She moves across it and every head turns to follow her. Her outfit is simple, and if most people here were to see her on the street they probably wouldn’t recognise her as the same person. But up there she shines brighter than a star. How can one person command such attention? I wonder if her band envy her the focus- but only briefly. I can’t bear to take my eyes off her to look at them, to gauge their feelings. I can’t look away, I’m mesmerised. If she glances my way, I cannot risk missing it. To look into her eyes, to have the chance to see into her soul.
I feel like she’s holding my heart in her hand, singing only to me.
About adoration
A couple of years ago I went to see a singer/songwriter play in London in an amazing venue that held maybe 250 people. I was embarrassed at how obsessed I was for several days afterwards. I mean, I’m too old to be crushing on musicians! But charisma is a powerful thing. This piece is about how intensely charisma can make us feel, and about how we feel some kind of ownership of people who put themselves into the public eye. It’s intended to be ambiguous. Is the narrator dating this beautiful girl, or are they experiencing these intense feelings about someone who is, ultimately a stranger? What did you think when reading it?
