Watching grandchildren grow and change is one of the joys of my life. As I think back on my childhood and on the experiences of raising my sons, I find the roles we all play and the cycle of life continue beyond myself. It is wonderful to see them moving on into the role of parent, training the next generation for roles they will inevitably take. We have no training manual, only the example of those gone before. It is a big responsibility being the director for the next generation.
The Curtain Rises
From womb to womb my comfort displaced
Crying with stage fright I take my place
Unprepared for all the applause
I am a star if only for the moment
Smiles and laughter greet every performance
Gaining more confidence my part is rewritten
I emerge shyly from behind the curtain
Sometimes a hit sometimes a flub
Settling into the character I love
Learning, shaping, the cheers die down
Directors change the play goes on
Too much, too hard, I want to get off
The director draws me back to my spot
Reviews are harsh my lines self-written
Invincible confident I move on without flinching
Searching finally loving my part
Free to explore I speak from my heart
Loving and caring my understudies arrive
Watching and learning smiling wide eyed
Full of wild wonder, joy, and fear
Finding their part and with pride always near
Filling in for me when I flub my line
Taking over my part as I begin to decline
The play of life a fleeting grand moment
Cherishing each and every applauded performance
Handling each misstep covering dropped lines
Awestruck outstanding as my delivery declines
My understudies are here and now it’s their time
Life’s a stage where we all perform
Big parts and small parts lessons to be learned
As I near the end of my acting career
Mine not for prying eyes or an audience’s loud cheer
Just a small part far from perfection
Played…then my understudy assumes the direction
With proud joy and pleasure I take my last bow
It’s time for me to go it’s their time is now.
Roth Poetry 