“Untitled” by Anya Supkay
April 7, 2025
I am fearful
I am filled with a nervous heart
Fluttering panic blooms inside of me
I am anxious
But for a second chance
Most days
Smiles are all that grace my face
But there are days
When my whole body shakes
My mind will take part in a race
My thoughts will compete for 1st Place
I am overwhelmed
For no reason
I’ve lost control
Slamming on the breaks
That’s not possible anymore
But neither is crashing into a wall
My lungs long for air
The more my chest leaps
The less I feel alive
(Or maybe I’ve never been more alive)
Tears tumble down my face
Precious diamonds I wipe away
Until then,
They will stay away
Until the next day
I know is coming, pushing towards me
the day when no one loves me
When no one cares
When my smile disappears
This poem was written by Anya Supkay as a 9th grader at Franklin High School with WITS writer-in-residence Clara Olivo. Performed at the Seattle Arts & Lectures event with Bonnie Garmus at Town Hall Seattle on April 7, 2025.