Elise Skidmore

April 17 is National Haiku Day and since today’s PAD prompt was to write a “nerve poem”, I decided to celebrate by using haiku to conquer something that makes most people nervous, public speaking.

Nerves


Alone on the stage
her hands clutching a poem
her knees are knocking

silence echoing
her heart drumming a tattoo
a drop of sweat falls

audience murmurs
anxious anticipation
they are here for her

bottle of water
her reward if she can speak
she opens her mouth

~Elise Skidmore ©2023