Second Debut (Poetry)

Stiff as new uniform
on the first day of school,
it feels too big on me,
hangs heavy so I strip off
the crisper outer layers,
distress some fabric.

No camouflage, no cover now,
I run the gauntlet down
white open spaces,
lungs bursting, waiting
for snipers, I flinch, aware
of strangers eyeing me.

This initiation
witnessed by a few who know
my struggle’s necessary —
embarrassment’s a lash,
the press gang’s here
to goad newcomers.

Awkwardness is wearing a suit
when everyone’s in jeans —
a question of style
and poetry in fashion.
Words change their outfits,
remodelled to endure.