The Missouri Review

Here’s another runner up; 

It’s a Sold Out Night

It’s a sold out night and I’m drummin’ like a fool.  It’s a sold out night and these folks don’t know I quit school.  But when I get on the stage I find the cheers that I hear make me feel alright.  You know I replaced Pete Best to get me money to pay the rent.  And it’s worth it just to hear the screams even though they’ll can me next.  So why on earth should I fear when I get on up here, you know I feel okay.  When I drum, everything seems to be right.  When I drum, feeling them loving my beat, beat, yeah.  It’s a sold out night and I’m drummin’ like a fool. It’s a sold out night and these folks don’t know I quit school. But when I get on the stage I find the cheers that I hear make me feel alright.

This comes to us courtesy of C. Wallace Walker, 2-time runner-up, about whom we can tell you this:

C Wallace Walker’s work has appeared in Ploughshares, The Southeast Review, Monkeybicycle and other journals. She is the recipient of a PEN American Short Prize, editor of The Literary Lunch Room anda member of the Broadneck Writers’ Workshop.