I wrote this poem after coming across one of Blogchatter’s earlier prompts about capturing awkwardness while facing a camera to make reels. Especially that strange, self-conscious feeling when the camera starts rolling. It instantly reminded me of my own attempts at making videos.

You know, that moment when you hit “record” and suddenly forget how to smile, speak, or even exist naturally. What was supposed to be a few seconds of effortless charm often turns into thirty takes of flailing hands, glitching smiles, and existential stares into the ring light. This poem is my playful take on that chaos, the art of being “natural” online.

I click "record" and forget my face—
is this my left or is it better left unseen?
My smile glitches like bad Wi-Fi,
hands flailing like I’m summoning ghosts.
I lip-sync with the enthusiasm of stale toast,
while my eyebrow auditions for a solo career.
The ring light glares like a disappointed parent.
My dog walks in, judges me, exits stage left.
Thirty six takes later, I post—
captioned: "Just being natural"

This post is part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon.