Julie plays the Hero on the rake turned towards the crowd,
Breasts pressed back beneath an admiral�s beat-up button-down,
Her voice carries towards the focus-point near the center mezzanine,
As she, dignified, recites the lyrics written for the scene,
�Beautiful,� they say of her, �A leading man carrying the play,
�His voice doth sing the opera with great proficiency,
The notes he hits with bravado, you should hear the ladies cry,
�If �tweren�t for all the spotlights I would hope to catch his eye!��
For Julie plays the Hero like a surgeon plays at God,
Making heart beats flutter, making onlookers applaud,
But back at Home she�s Stella fearing Stanley�s drunken roars,
Cowering in the corner whilst glass shatters �bout the floor,
Their children in their bedrooms trying not to make a peep,
For Father plays the Devil now, pretend that you�re asleep.
But up on stage, Julie plays the Hero and plays the Hero well,
Leaving audiences lost within her sweet Soprano spell,
Telling all the villains she won�t take it anymore,
Telling every wrongdoer what is left worth fighting for,
And one night her eyes leave the focus point to see,
Her husband in the audience, paralyzed in grief,
While no one dared to recognize the pink upon her cheeks,
At the door to her small dressing room, his lips could barely speak,
�Julie, you play the Hero with the force of God Divine,
Your feet were planted firmly, your eyes glint e�er sanguine,
But at home you surrender to my paltry damning blows,
A dance far from the ballets that your director hath composed,
Why don�t you play the Hero with my hands around your neck,
When I�ve thrown you to the floor and your hair is all a wreck,
And the redness in your cheeks matches the redness in your eyes,
If you can play the Hero here, then do please tell me why?�
As she removed her powdered wig, the medals from her coat,
She loosened quick the bowtie that was wrapped about her throat,
And cleared her airway nervously, soon to admit her game,
And with the most pitying look, quietly explained,
�Here in town I play the Hero while at home you play the vile,
I cook your food and clean your house while you spit at me with guile,
Here in town I play the Hero and at home I play the dame,
As the Hero I�m to celebrate, as the spouse I am to blame,
You are the antagonist, and I am the poor wife,
But I�m playing in the biggest role I�ve had in my whole life,
I raise our children as best I can despite our great discrepancies,
Because I am an actress, and I play out my scenes.�