Reading Out Loud Poem by Christian Rivera

As I stood up in front of the crowd
They all sat still and silent
Their eyes and ears aimed like rifles on me
And I slowly read my poem aloud

My knees shook with every spoken lyric
My lips quivered as I couldn't stop
They listened intently, focused
As if my every word was the word of a mystic

Heavy emotions make me weightless
My eyes are shaking and my heart is too
My poem is almost finished
But the words aren't bitter and tasteless

I look at the crowd's emotionless faces as I finish reading
Their monotone lips curve upward as they clap
I walk off the stage nervously trying to maintain balance
And in my head the words of the poem repeat