Through busy hallways they walk,
Dragging their feet.
They all share
An impending sense of pain.
She anticipates their pain.
She controls their every breathing second,
whether she knows it
or not.
Planning ahead, reviewing their fatal mistakes.
They might have failed their test,
Forgotten lunch, or
Had the best birthday in a while.
She’ll know.
It won’t affect anything.
Limping, wobbling, struggling,
taking their breaths away.
“Wonderful in her eyes”
“Thank you for working hard”
“You’ll get it next time,
Baby girl”
They’re her world, but
Only for a season.
Only for an hour and a half.
Only on weekdays.
“GET THERE”
“READ YOUR HITTERS”
“YOU’RE EARLY”
“BURPEES FOR EVERYONE”
Days vary,
Strategy changes,
But in the end, it’s all
Paradise paradise paradise
Speaker: a shadow of our Varsity coach, Coach Ericka
Audience: primarily the 2019 Skyview Academy Volleyball Team
Situation: Coach Ericka spends her days confusing her team with her torturous punishments and rare encouraging words.
Shift: beginning of the fifth stanza
Tone: slightly traumatized
Mood: sympathetic
APsolutely Trying My Hardest 
This is AMAZING! It might be hard for people who haven’t had our coach specifically to pick up on the inside jokes, but everyone can relate to an authority figure that is difficult to deal with. Excellent job!
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I don’t speak sports, but I imagine a coach is much like a good theatre director full of tough love.
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