Unstoppable

The air is electric, charged by hundreds of people

Nervousness and excitement mingle,

Making me apprehensive

Yet I am confident.

I know what to expect

When I step from behind that overbearing, black curtain

Glaring lights, visually obscuring a cheering crowd

Judges sprinkled throughout.

My heart pounds faster that the rhythmic music

Time ticks away

 like a bomb ready to explode

Until the moment arrives.

My teammates and I exchange gripping hugs

And words of encouragement

Its show time!

Setting up is a blur,

The next thing I know…

our music starts.

Months of training in dance and equipment

For 5 minutes of pure adrenaline

Not one toss crashes to the ground.

Too soon we’re done

One final pose and earth-shattering applause

We exit the floor, panting heavily,

But feeling exuberant.

It doesn’t matter how we place

we did the absolute best we could

As a team.

We are one

and because we are one

we are unstoppable.