Public Speaking

Small faucets in your hands and arm pits turn on as you glance down at your notes, the words that you wrote down the night before turning into meaningless scribbles.

The words flow from your mouth in a flood of sounds and syllables, but you struggle to hold them back. You must speak at a slow, measured pace.

The people- just one mass, not individuals, stare at you. You cannot read their expressions.

Your carefully prepared speech echoes in the still air as you mouth the familiar words. You cannot hear them over the pounding of your heart.

The people look unmoved. This is frustrating. It is so, so clear to you that you are right. If only they would come off their high horses and listen properly.

There is a dinging sound just as you finish speaking. Your time is up.

Blood thundering through your veins to your face at a record setting pace, breathing in careful, slow breaths, you go to your seat.

“Good job,” the person next to you whispers. You do not know if you really did a good job, or if they are just saying that to be polite.

The next person stands, and you watch them carefully. Was she better than you? Worse?

But mostly, you are relieved.

Your turn is over.