I sang last night during the open mic session at Minard.  My friend Rani came along to cheer … so kind of her.

Each time I’ve been there, an artist sits off to the side, drawing each performer.  And we the audience get to see the creations unfolding on a screen.  So cool.

The fellow with the pencil took care to draw the first presenter of the evening – a poet with a shine in her eyes and a smile that wouldn’t go away.  But the artist drew her as if he was standing behind.  “Strange,” I thought, but a fun new interpretation.

There followed a cavalcade of poets, singers, comedians and a guitarist.  And later … me!  I often glanced at the screen but no new human beings appeared.  Instead what emerged is what you see in the photo:

A scary audience!

Those teeth … ripping to shreds anyone brave enough to step on the stage.  And those eyes … burning holes into flesh.

Huh?

As I stood before about fifty folks, the drawing was nowhere near what I experienced.  I felt them leaning into the words of the song, soft eyes lingering with mine.  Even though I was some nervous, I felt buoyed up by the human beings accompanying me.

Of course there are tyrants here on Earth, and the occasional person who hopes I fall on my face, but almost all of the people I meet have a goodness that breaks through the surface to see the light of day.

Like them, I will lift the world