Tuesday, 2026-06-02

Spotlight drifts to me

Anticipating message

Swallow and begin

I wish the bird-angle for this prompt evoked anything in me, but it doesn’t. Instead, you get a poem about the verb.

My first thought was social anxiety, particularly as it relates to speaking. Once I’ve started talking I’m fine, but depending on the situation I perceive a lot of pressure in the moments before. I don’t think about it much, but I’ll literally swallow before I begin. It’s the same whether I’m talking to one person or a hundred.

I thought about the symbolism of that action too. I’m literally getting saliva out of mouth so I can speak without spitting everywhere, but I’m also taking the manifestation of my anxiety, consuming it, and moving on. After all, my talk/announcement isn’t going to give itself.