Poem by Noel Hassan

“Auditorium"

One Location
2 words
Oakland, California.

One School
4 words
Oakland Technical High School.

One Building
1 word
Auditorium.

One Time Period
2 words
Sophomore year.

One Poetry Event
9 words
Youth Speaks & Oakland Tech Poets Open Mic Night,

“Why was this auditorium so damn big!” I kept asking myself as people filed in their seats like ants filing into their ant hill. My body was shaking like a baby rattle as poets performed their poems with so much ease that I wanted to flee before creating an embarrassing scene.

Bella and Anton both glued me to my seat that night with such ferocity as I spilled out excuse after excuse about how I might forget my lines or what if they think my poem isn’t good enough and make fun of me until my bottle of excuses was emptied without a single drop of residue.

My heart skipped way too many beats as my turn to be illuminated by the stage light came near. But Bella you still held my small chubby hands with such reassurance while Anton looked at me with such clarity that it made me feel ashamed for doubting myself.

I was prompted like an actress to go get ready for the audience.

But it wasn’t until the moment that I saw my beautiful and separated family sitting among the crowd on my right side did I realize that I wouldn’t let this gigantic auditorium keep me from dimming the bright lights of happiness and pride shining from my family’s faces. Lips close to the microphone like we are about to kiss I recite the poem that I’ve longed to share.

One Choice
5 words
I’m Going To Do It.

One Opportunity
6 words
Words are meant to be heard.

One Belief
11 words
Words shouldn’t be imprisoned in the head nor inside a notebook.

One Audience
5 words
Over 200 eyeballs watching me.

One Identity
7 words
I’m now worthy of calling myself a Poet.

One Poem, One Voice
4 words
This. Auditorium. Changed. Everything.