It starts with a whisper
A sign of things to come
The sound is soft still
It’s barely more than a hum
The words start flying faster
The tongue starts warming up
The body begins to work as well
No sign of fizzling out
Oh, it’s in the groove now
Brave quotes earn scattered applause
The audience leans forward into
The worthy and passionate cause
The voice reaches a climax
Shocking revelation pitched on high
Silence blankets the stunned receivers
Too stunned to even cry
An evenness in tone now
As the call to action is spelled
A poignant quote bookends the talk
Ending the magic spell
The sound of clapping rivals thunder
In that enclosed theater of ideas
The praise dies down, the audience sits down
And wipes away their tears