Love Poem: Shaking Hands
Jessica Schick Avatar
Written by: Jessica Schick

Shaking Hands

I was in an essay contest
It started in January
When we wrote our rough drafts.
Then the teacher paired us
Up for peer editing.
I was paired with
A boy with sapphire eyes.
When he read my essay, I had
Shaking hands.
He couldn’t find anything
In my essay 
For me to fix.
A few weeks later,
I was the finalist.
With shaking hands, I told the sapphire boy 
That I was a finalist
Because the day it was announced,
He was gone.
Seven people told me before
I got to language arts so
I already knew when I got there.
Flash forward to a Wednesday night.
I’m nervous, with shaking hands
I email a friend, 
Asking if they’ll come
To the oratory contest.
The friend said no.
An hour later, I was on the stage
Shaking hands, I placed them on 
The podium.
I read my essay, and left the stage.
Less than 20 minutes later, they
Called all fourteen finalists to the stage
Again.
We got our gift baskets
And then it was time to
Announce the winners.
Shaking hands again.
Third,
Second.
Then, I was first.
I danced all the way home.
The next day at school,
I found the sapphire boy during
Fourth hour.
With shaking hands, I told him that we won.
He was happy, but he
Was angry too.
He hadn’t received any credit.
The next day I bought him a
Carnation.
I didn’t sign my name on the note, but 
I wrote on the back 
With shaking hands,
This is your credit.