Presenting
Teacher calls out my name
I stand, terrified, heart pounding
Trembling legs hardly supporting
I approach the front of the room
No more grace than a feeble kitten
I pass the girls that talk and talk
Boys that don't know my name
And the quiet ones
Silent, shy, just like me
Shakily, I take my stand
Among my poster, projection, or model
Covering some time period, war, or entity
Logically, I know I shouldn't be nervous
Tense, anxious, and edgy
I don't actually care what any of them think of me
And I know my work is likely the best and most thorough
Paramount, incomparable, and unrivaled
Above and beyond is what I expect
Outstanding, preeminent, and supreme
The only thing I will tolerate
I also know this should be simple
Effortless, painless, and trouble free
But it's not quite that easy for me
My unsure eyes dart around
Reimagining the bored stares
As horrifyingly acute gazes
Penetrating my very soul
I swallow
But it doesn't help
My heart is beside itself beating
Pumping, thumping, and thrashing about
The noise ringing in my ears
I cannot breathe
My lungs have stopped
My stomach has dropped
My hands are clammy
My throat is dry
The temperature is rising, I swear
It's not just me
A blush, a flush, color on my cheeks
Scarlet, crimson, red as raw meat
Presenting is a grade
So I open my mouth
My bone dry tongue
Arid, parched, and desicated
Moves to form
words
I am decent
This is unacceptable to me
I rush through hastily
Stumbling, stammering, and stuttering
I'm not sure anyone understood me
I'm bound to be docked a few points
For reading directly off the slides
Speaking rapidly
Not looking at the spectators
There's always something
At last, I'm finished
Feeling like I just ran a marathon
I return to my seat
And thank God it's over
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Dedicated to seasofme.
-AC
