Paper held by sweaty hands,
Legs shaking, overwhelmed,
Words a blur in front of my eyes.
Open my mouth searching for a bold tone,
hoping to appear relaxed,
but a crackling voice barely heard appears
Think deep breaths, calm down

Everyone is watching
I can feel the judging looks
I'm trying not to struggle
One sentence done, many to go
is this over yet?
Why did I write so much?
Think deep breaths, calm down

Silence in the room,
waiting for me to continue
a giant rock in my throat
and knot in my stomach
the shaking spreads to my hands
and I squeeze out the next sentence
Think deep breaths, calm down

Minutes pass and I'm almost done
thank goodness this horror is almost through
I shudder out the last of words
and look up for the final blow
nothing, as I move to my seat my friend tries to give me a smile
I sit down still shaking with the fear of public speaking
Still trying to learn, think deep breaths, and calm down