After

by Emily Donnelly

Photo by Jesús Rocha on Unsplash

Friendly faces turn and ask

“What’s the next step?”

Forced again, to smile

Offering a wave of vagueness

They return how I feel

Thrown.

Years in a classroom

Could never have prepared me

For the all-consuming feeling

Of impending graduation

Four days ago I began, days turned to years

Longing.

Hazy memories left

Papers of inexperience to show

Sending it around

My abilities on auction

I wait.

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