Test Stress

• Adrita Rahman, Grade 6, Glenfield Public School
• Poetry
• 2022

Excellence Award in the 'Unleashed 2022' competition

Forcefully pacing myself through the towering soundproof doors
I could feel my heart thumping; it sounded like a loud ROAR!
My face fell plain as ghost at the sight of one more chair
Was I really the last one?
I could feel a gazillion stares!
I rushed over to the lonely seat at the back of the pin drop silent room
Inside the classroom were only children of gloom!
I could see sweating children biting their nails and some who chewed on their long stringy hair
Headmaster had entered the room with papers all the way up to his chin
He looked at the class and said, “Oh you all look so very dim!”
Papers were being handed out row by row
I sat waiting looking out the window
Praying for success
But all my brain could vision
Was a cloud of distress!