SMALL

The way announcers stretch out the syllables of another person's name,

shorten others, and skip over the less important parts.

And it makes that person feel important,

because everyone wants certain parts of themselves lengthened, shortened, or skipped over,

and then announced over a microphone to a cheering crowd.

I have never had my name announced like that,

but I remember a day in February,

in Clark Goldsberry's AP Art room, 

Next to the table covered in Hayley's blue,

my chalk pastels,

and Luis' ink,

when I said something small,

and Nate said

"Emma Heath, everybody"

as if the world was a stage and all he wanted to do was welcome me to it.