Tarnished Triumph Poem by Mary Champion

It hardly seemed possible
that I could ever surmount them-
the myriad obstacles that hindered my way.
How could I break through the negative cloud -
that loomed over my life?
Yet now, I stand here, in the glow of the spotlight.
Excitement and terror flood through me
as I start to sing.

Finally, I acknowledge the tumultuous applause
and make my exit.

I should be jubilant.
I should be walking on air.
But now that I have tasted success
I find it does not sate my soul's hunger.
I see that it has no lasting value
in the absence of meaning,
in the absence of you.