Point Of View//Spoken Word Poetry

The Leg That Would Always Bounce//Spoken Word

When I was in class/my leg would always bounce//it made an unappealing sound/but I could not control my leg that would always bounce//along with the bounce/came the stares from all around//my palms began to sweat and my eyes filled with fear//fear that people might judge my leg that would always bounce/or the sweat dripping down my head/or the clamminess contained in these palms/or the thoughts traveling through my mind like a train without breaks/or a person who's mentally insane/or a little boy who just got a popular new toy//I feel the eyes burn through the back of my head/like striking a match to light up something much more//just like the lies that went around/about the leg that would always bounce/and the rumors that were lit spread like fire to trees/but the trees they were not trees/they were the people breathing in the rumors like a drug/leading to my very own thoughts to fill with smoke//now I can't even breathe/because my lungs are filled with the smoke people smothered me with/and it's getting into my head/once more my head meets the floor/and I can not take it anymore//my heart has been torn/and I'm afraid I'll ruin things even more//as I dare to look up/the smoke empties from my lungs/and my fingertips have now gone numb//while everyone's eyes are looking down/mine meet with the teacher that I simply hate//he stares me down while my leg continues to bounce/and I try to raise my hand but my fingertips are still numb//as I try once more/I see a head turn and shoot an un-approving look/that's when I can't bare it anymore and I burst through the doors/that lead me into an unending corridor//now I find myself lost in the school I can't avoid/the bell rings/as the corridor fills/I keep my head down trying to keep my cool/while books are held tightly against my chest/with the heart that's beating at a speed of 140 beats per minute//the bell rings once more before I hear the slam of a door/while I still stand in the now empty corridor/my legs begin to move until I find the closest bathroom door/I walk in and meet with the eyes that shot the un-approving glare just minutes ago/I try to form words with these frozen lips/and now it's too late and I missed my only chance to explain why my leg would always bounce//I turn to the mirror/disgusted with what I see/tears have become a norm and my familiar hands shelter my face just like before//as soon as I lock the stall door/I can release my silent tears like I do when I'm alone/but something catches my attention/well it's another leg repeatedly bouncing on the floor//I open the stall door to reveal another person like me/unable to control their leg from bouncing on the floor/I flash them a smile and for the first time in a long while/I feel okay with revealing/ the true meaning of why my leg would always bounce on the floor.