An Actor's Mantra
Well, I'm not sure if what I'm using is public domain or copyrighted, but there's a little articulation/alliteration that my acting teacher taught my class a few years back...
Alex Longfur gathered up his juggling clubs backstage a few minutes before his scheduled time. The ferret was slightly nervous, as he always was before a performance. He noticed his hands were shaking badly from the adrenaline coursing through him. "Jeez man, every friggin' time!" He set his clubs down and pondered for a second. "What if... Oh, maybe a mantra will help?" He slowed his breathing a little then began:
"To sit in solemn silence
on a dull, dark dock.
In a pestilential prison
with a life-long lock.
Awaiting the sensation
of a short, sharp shock,
from a cheep and chippy chopper
on a big, black block."
It worked, and the ferret strolled out onto the stage to an upbeat song, his clubs arcing through the air in intricate patterns.
Well, yeah, ta-da.