Complete Exposure

Tonight I plan on going to a poetry reading and reading... As always, however, I'm nervous... Why..? I don't know... I think it's mainly because people won't be reading my thoughts, I will be reading my thoughts to them... It's kind of unnerving in a sense... Probably because I always feel totally exposed and the very emotion that I used to write the poems, meshes itself within my voice and pours out with every word that I read... Complete Exposure... If I were to be able to read behind a mask or name that isn't mine, I might fare better... But then, that would mean that I would lose all credit as to who I am and my talent as a writer... Fear is not an option when it comes to my reading and it shouldn't be an option when it comes to my reading... So I guess this means that I will be doing as I usually do... Taking a couple of deep breaths, saying a little prayer, and steping into the spotlight...