Isaiah has always been a person who performs well under pressure. He doesn't do it quietly. There is typically a lot of complaining, sometimes tears, and always major drama, but he seldom fails to rise to the occasion.
The past week has been especially brutal. It started with an F.A.A. knowledge exam for a private pilot's license which Isaiah has been preparing for for a year. The test is two hours long, with about 90 questions, but those questions are chosen out of a bank of over 700 questions that you have to be prepared to answer. After a grueling, nerve splitting hour, Isaiah emerged victorious with a passing score.
Monday was a nail biter as well, as Isaiah turned focus towards his AP Calculus exam. With that in the rear view he would continue the week by getting caught up with his college course work that had taken the back seat while he prepared for the other two exams.
Late on Thursday night, Isaiah discovered that he had been invited to the Inlandia Institute members and donors appreciation reception. He was asked to read a poem with a theme of transformation, but he didn't have anything in his portfolio that suited that subject matter.
As his mom, I assumed he would pass on the invitation since he had stated that he had a ton of homework and was preparing for year end finals. But when I brought up the subject, he got a sheepish grin on his face and chuckled, saying that he wanted the challenge!
Isaiah sat up all night on Friday night and produced a short and sweet but powerful poem at 2 am Saturday morning. He slept for four hours and then got up for JROTC promotions and then hustled to the ceremony to read his work. It was a hit! Below is the recording of the event that features both the teen Poet Laureate and Isaiah's poem.
Click here for th written version of Isaiah's poem "Lost Among Fear, Found Among Flames."
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