Applause

"Hello friends! I'm so glad you're here!" She screams in an empty room, surrounded by white walls. She swears she hears them speaking, but it's just the echo of her own voice.
She speaks to the nonexistent crowd. They applaud her on how well she's done in the past year.
Graduating, Moving Away, and Making a Life with the Woman of her Dreams.

She smiles,
Takes a bow.
And begins to speak again, as the applause comes to a screaming lull.

She speaks of grandeur that is to be explored,
Traveling the world, and making an impact.
But she is stuck.
For the moment, in her bed,

With an empty pill bottle, and an audience in her head.

The facade continues to play on,
A stage so brightly lit,
Pressure, so delicately weighted.

To be the best, to make it to the top,
But what if the top, and the best for her are the simple things,
Seeing the world, traveling,
Maybe living on a beach... in a tent, with only a fire burning from some leaves and twigs to counteract the chilly breeze escaping as the ocean exhales.

She wants to live as the free spirit she is.
Dancing barefoot in the sand, under the starry, moon kissed, sky.