Oh How I Remember

The damp air it sits, tense with wait, I turn around and see the faces, Family, neighbors, friends, Why can’t I remember why they’re here, on bleachers so late? I stare down at my feet, my toes cringe and twist, Feel the blisters pulsing under socks, Oh how I remember… Running laps, with hands pumping fists; I look down at my legs, knees rocking back and forth, Sense the tension of my tendons, Oh how I remember… Tripping up the stairs, trying to miss the late roar; I peer down at my hands, fingers clenching in and out, Rub the calluses that ever grow, Oh how I remember… Frequent, frantic scribbles to appease the rubric’s amount; I stretch my back in anticipation, ribs swerving right and left, Muscles crunch constant crackles, Oh how I remember… Infamous load of books and papers that nearly squashed me to death; I pivot my head to clear my thoughts, anxiety reluctant, Derivatives, definitions, dates bombard, Oh how I remember… Minimum of what everything actually meant; The humid air, it moves with expectation, I turn around and see the faces, Students, classmates, friends, All of us draped in navy robes and tassels, it’s our graduation.