Photo by Joachim Schnürle on Unsplash

I Can See You

by Alisa Nepp

Sitting alone way in the back

Head down, trying not to make eye contact.

Everyone else seems to have it all,

Laughing with friends while I sit there feeling small.

Always with the answers, they raise their hands

But on me, slumped in my seat, her eye lands.

I know she is thinking, “I can see you”.”

So now, I am caught, and what am I going to do?

I swallow hard and take a breath

Showing what I know in front of everyone is worse than death.

For 180 days, she pushed and she pulled,

She encouraged, persuaded, cheered, and did all she could.

There’s more to this in the current issue of the Times Virginian newspaper. Support local journalism by purchasing the issue at a local newsstand or subscribing at www.timesvirginian.com/subscriber_services to receive the print edition or view the full article in the e-edition version.