The damp air it sits, tense with wait,
I turn around and see the faces,
Family, neighbors, friends,
Why can’t I remember why they’re here, on bleachers so late?

I stare down at my feet, my toes cringe and twist,
Feel the blisters pulsing under socks,
Oh how I remember…
Running laps, with hands pumping fists;

I look down at my legs, knees rocking back and forth,
Sense the tension of my tendons,
Oh how I remember…
Tripping up the stairs, trying to miss the late roar;

I peer down at my hands, fingers clenching in and out,
Rub the calluses that ever grow,
Oh how I remember…
Frequent, frantic scribbles to appease the rubric’s amount;

I stretch my back in anticipation, ribs swerving right and left,
Muscles crunch constant crackles,
Oh how I remember…
Infamous load of books and papers that nearly squashed me to death;

I pivot my head to clear my thoughts, anxiety reluctant,
Derivatives, definitions, dates bombard,
Oh how I remember…
Minimum of what everything actually meant;

The humid air, it moves with expectation,
I turn around and see the faces,
Students, classmates, friends,
All of us draped in navy robes and tassels, it’s our graduation.