Performance Anxiety (a poem)
I walked out of the din, wandered into the yard. I never thought performing would be so damned hard.
I walked out of the din, wandered into the yard. I never thought performing would be so damned hard.
hand in hand, we left that day, together, come rain or shine.
the longer i live, the more i see, it’s true that love is blind.
I have been thinking, a lot, the last two days—about who I want to be in this moment.
Give thanks. Give attention, acceptance, kindness. Give of your heart. Give comfort. Give peace, joy, happiness. Give of your soul.
It’s winter again, it’s snowing outside, and my soul is as dry as my hands. A frozen wasteland, no less of a desert. My heart is parched like the sands.
I hope you will join me in this act of solidarity as I stand up for those who are being forced to assimilate with a societal construct that does not fit them or reflect their lived experience.
(377 words)
They have seen it all and stood strong despite the pushback. They have the scars to show for it, but they also have resilience.
I’m the invisible girl, nobody knows exists, visible only to myself. I shrink from view, strategically blending into the background.
The bullies carried baseball bats wrapped in chain and tape. Now they use both laws and lies to hit us with their hate.
© 2009-2026 E.L. Redwine