Always the Narrator: A Poem

Each year since second grade
She gets the same fate
In the school's nativity play
"You're the narrator!"
The teachers proudly say
And hand her the same script
A few sheets paperclipped
Together for her to read from
Up at the podium
While some lucky kids set the scene
Like life-size nativity figurines
And the others mumble the words
To carols everybody's heard

She's studious and likes to read
And she's too shy to try to plead
For a different role
She plans to grow up to be bold
And thinks it would be good practice
For her dreams of being an actress
If they would give her a chance
To try something else for once

Years from now in high school
She imagines she'll be really cool
Dressing in black turtlenecks
Carrying scripts in her back pocket
The future star of the drama club
That's the world she wants to be part of

But for now, she never gets a real part
And she feels like they're humoring her
To tell her that she's the real star
She knows the other kids are
She'd love to play Mary or an angel
But she'd settle for a camel or a sheep
What an awesome sheep she could be!

On the night of the show
The kids arrive early to be ready to go
They get into their costumes
But she has nothing to do
Wearing her best dress
Waiting in the cafeteria with the rest
She doesn't even get to wear makeup
(Her mother says she's too young)
And anyway, she'll be out of sight
The narrator doesn't get a spotlight

Time for the pageant, the kids file in
She sings with the choir until it's time to begin
The song is over, and the room falls quiet
Heads turn, murmurs break the silence
Suddenly she panics, she missed her cue
Frozen in her spot, her feet won't move
She's supposed to be up at the microphone
Her teacher whispers her name to move things along
Up at the mic, she reads her part too fast
She's embarrassed and wishes she hadn't been cast
As the narrator. It's too much for her to handle
She'd rather be in the choir, holding a candle

When the pageant is finally done
The kids gather in the hall for some fun
Each one gets a paper bag full of treats
Chocolates, candy canes, a few other sweets
Next year with a bit of luck
No one will remember she messed up
But once again, she'll be the narrator
Telling the story of the birth of the savior