As many of you know, last Friday there was an event hosted by Starving Artists and Out of Hand called The Feast. The 1st Annual Feast was basically an open mic night for anyone who had poetry to perform, but The 2nd Annual Feast was a bit different. This year, anyone who wanted to perform had to fill out an application and the writer’s workshop teachers said they were going to pick 15 people that were serious about poetry and they were all going to perform twice.

I filled out an application, but I thought that with all the talented poets at this school I probably wouldn’t get a spot and I was fine with that! I would still go and be surrounded by two of my favorite things: poetry, and the people that perform it.

I found out a few days later that I actually made it and the smile on my face stretched farther than ear to ear… if that’s possible. I was so excited! Then it dawned on me that I needed to have two pieces ready by that upcoming Friday and that I have the biggest stage fright ever. Coming to that realization sent me straight into a nervous, anxious panic. The whole week I was frantically pulling together two pieces while trying to balance school and work.

Friday was finally here and I was wearing the perfect outfit I bought specifically for that day and the nerves kind of went away. I was just so excited to be involved that I didn’t really care how I did as long as I got to be apart of it. That is until I found out that my parents were going to come. Joy.

The first part of the night ran smoothly and after the first round of performances during intermission I talked to my parents. They told me how proud of me they were. It was a rush of relief because with my writing I was never sure what my parents would think.

By the end of the night I got to thinking about The Feast last year and never in a trillion years would I have thought that I would be one of the performers at The Feast just a year away. That’s why I am writing this. I want to encourage you guys to uncover your secret passion and run with it because the effect may surprise you.

Also, I want to congratulate the four amazing poets that are going to represent our school as solo performers in the city wide poetry slam, Louder Than A Bomb: Brianna Cole, Eli Southwick, Andy Larson, and Emma Van Deventer! You guys are going to be amazing!