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