I gripped it tightly in my hands
Never daring to let go
Trying to rub its luck on me
Maybe I’ll make it through
Maybe I’ll someday know
How I managed to swallow my fear
And how I avoided an absolute wreck

I finger its shiny surface
Its depth burning,
As it hangs across my neck
Its feels of fire,
Deep
Golden
Fire
It richly melts into one
Held securely into the shape of a moonlight’s shadow
Or a feline’s burning eye of hunger in the twilight

I slide my finger across its smooth edge
It feels of the untouched surface of the horizon’s calming waters
Or the rim of Saturn’s brilliant fire ring

And I hesitantly walk
Closer
And
Closer
To the stage, running the practiced words of my speech through my head over and over, feeling the fear in plain sight
I clutch my
Lucky
Necklace
Just hoping,
Everything will turn out alright.