You slowly stride towards the microphone
Clunk clunk clunk
The repeated pattern created by your heeled boots.
Finally you approach the cold, hard podium,
Not a welcoming structure standing before you.
As you adjust the mic, you wonder,
"Why did I agree to do this?"
Then you realize you are trembling before your peers,
Oh, and don't forget the familiar faces of numerous faculty members,
Who are patiently, or possibly impatiently awaiting the sound of your voice.
Yet you have no pried open that wired-shut mouth of yours.
Back to reality.
You must force open your jaw and allow your words
To flow from the tip of your tongue.
I stress "YOUR WORDS."
You have constructed each particular word with care.
These thoughts have emerged from the jumbled mess within your brain.
And now, you reveal this creation to all within listening distance.
Lucky for you, the whole world is not within the boundaries to reach YOUR WORDS.
But those who are, now have a different understanding of you
As a poet,
As a friend,
As a student,
As a person.
Simply because you chose to reveal your deepest emotions in
YOUR WORDS.
Your lips glide together and rest,
For you have completed the gut-wrenching task.
Your confidence radiates from every gleam of flesh uncovered.
The applause is barely noticeable,
Not because no one is applauding,
But because you are so proud of your accomplishment that you have
Shut out the rest of the world,
And now reside within the developed realms of your poetry.
Which was, of course, created by
YOUR WORDS.

11/14/2002

Author's Note: I wrote this after attending a poetry reading, although I did not read any of my poetry because I didn't have the guts to at that time. But this poem describes what I perceived to be the thoughts of those timid poets that did have courage for that one night.

Posted on 03/19/2003
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