Place yourself in class
You know the answer
It's on the tip of your tounge
You want to scream and shout it
Your hand hovers over unmute
Your mind and heart begin racing
But you can't
You're afraid
So you back down and the teacher shares your answer
It's a win
You were right
But it's a loss because no one will ever know
They praise him, her, them, for their answers
The ones that fell apart on the edge of your tounge
The ones you bit your lip on
The ones you knew so well you could've sung
Your mind boggled
A pain that begins in the front
You're used to it
Not answering
But the voice in your head only gets a bigger part of your diminishing self-love
The voice calls to you every time a question surfaces
And you already know what it will say
"Bite your tounge youngster
Answer not today
You'll be wrong so why bother
You're a nobody, what a shame"
Written on: March 2, 2021