Red marks

Have you ever thought you did something so well?

You Knew every step to take.

Every question stemmed a brilliant answer.

You wrote the most magnificent piece of work.

Completely happy to complete happy with the complete work, knowing it was your best.

Waiting in anticipation to see you just knew you earned.

Only to sit anxiety mounting as the teacher hands back papers.

Glancing around you notice nearly everyone who has their paper back have high grades.

You start to wonder just how well you did.

Confidence disintergrating with every paper that floats past you.

Then you deflate entirely as you stare down at the red that sorched onto your paper.

Dismayed you glance around and see few people have as much red as you, maybe a couple have more.

That doesn't matter, you feel defeated.

The questions build up in your mind.

What happened?

Why wasn't this right?

How did I get it wrong?

Nearby someone with an A or a B say that they can't believe they got one. or couple answers wrong.

Snippets of jealousy and sadness creep into that happy smile you plasted on your face,

in hopes that no one will see just how much your feel like a faluire

Something you worked so had on proved to be just another great mistake.

Maybe the teacher sees your smile waver, or perhaps that dismayed face when you got your paper back.

So the teacher adds the ultimate insult.

Pulling you aside they ask,

What's wrong?

What went wrong?

Did you not understand the assignment?

How can we make this better?

Of course you reply with stiff answers, tell them you thought you knew what you were doing.

Then the old feeling washes over you, you are ashamed of doing so badly.

Beaten down by the very work you tired so hard on.

It sits in front of you, mocking you with it's hot red marks, laughing as you shut it away.

You can only hope to do better, next time.