Valedictorious // [Poet Pre-Games]

Poet stood in the shade of the podium, just a step away from the bright spring sunlight. It was mid-morning and already brutally hot. he'd dressed for effect, not the weather, and maybe now regretted the all black attire a little. Sweat dewed along his collar. The little tip of his nose that he could always see out of his peripheral vision shined. He wanted to take another step back, as though the tented shadow would somehow help. But he'd been directed to stand there - right there - while he was introduced.

"And now, the top student in your class, with a perfect grade point average: Poet Dolamite!"

A smattering of applause.

Poet rolled his shoulders back, refusing to be bullied by clapping. As he approached the microphone, he finally stepped into the sunlight.

"Hello," he said, testing the strength of the audio equipment. And then for the next ten minutes, he proceeded to speak at full volume, fully amplified to the small crowd of parents and other excellent students; the slackers had already begun their summer vacation. Poet spoke of hard word, of late nights researching and early mornings drinking perfectly steeped tea. He alluded to his competitors. But in the end it was just his own natural brilliance that had led to this moment, that had set him on the path to someday be the valedictorian. "You'll see me on this stage again, next year and the year after that."

What happened after that, he did not know.

Eventually the principal covered the microphone with his hand and slipped a sash around Poet with the other. He yanked more than shook Poet's hand, drawing him across the stage. Poet went, if only because his black shirt was glued to his chest and back with sweat.

When he graduated from high school as the first in his class, then he'd talk as long as he liked.

[ saunders collection '05 - rave ]