There are thank yous to be given
To the people who have bestowed to me a voice
A chance
An opportunity to get my work out there to the public's ear

The people who give that to everyone wanting to display and demonstration raw self-expression with passion
The people who they themselves are artists as well
Writers, musicians, brilliant and enlivened

They bequeath to us platforms, podiums
Spotlight center stage soapboxes

Microphones waiting to have words of insight cascade into them
And amps bracing themselves to have those words erupt out of them
Onto an expecting and interested crowd

The smell of coffee
The smell of cigarettes
The taste of Burgundy
On my nervous breath

On the air
On the mic
I'm there
And I thank you all

For the chances you grant all of us
We who want to show the world what we can do and who we are
There needs to be more people like you, caring and ardent

With the utmost sincerity I give you my deepest gratitude

Here's to you