The year was 2000. The place was Ms. T's 8th grade Gifted English Class. The assignment was to compile a book of 14 original poems. The participants? I'd say there were probably 12 of us, each one pretentious and precocious enough to be a part of New Mexico's "gifted program." Lucky for you all, my parents delivered my 8th grade poetry book to me this weekend, unceremoniously stuffed in a book box. Even luckier, I'm going to copy some of those poems for you today. (The only thing more embarrassing is my original artwork that graces the pages--you will not be seeing that today.)
The Road Not Taken
At the crossroads of my life I stand.
Ready
To venture to an unknown land.
Preparing
For a journey that will never cease.
Hoping
That it will be in peace.
Creating
A legacy that time will go through.
Going
To be different.
Determined
To be known.
Knowing
That I can because it's my choice.
W
A
I
T
I
N
G...!
(My apologies to Mr. Frost for completely stealing his title. Some interesting themes here. I especially like the ellipses and exclamation point at the end.)
Who wants to be a?
Music builds,
The audience hushes,
"Is that your final answer?"
The contestant flushes.
Yes, he says,
I'm fairly sure.
I'll go with it.
Okay, Regis murmurs.
After a wait,
Of one second or two,
Regis smiles and says,
$100, good for you!
(Yeah. Bet you weren't expecting that turn of events at the end, now were you?)
Poetry in Ocean
"Swish" sing the whispering waves aloft,
To the golden sand.
Dolphins beckon to the colorful array,
Of fish surrounding them.
Coral moves with every beat,
Of the ocean's heart.
Seafoam sits quietly atop
The turquoise waters.
It bobs up and down,
Like the cream atop eggnog.
Starfish flail their arms in a hurry.
Orcas chirp their songs of praise.
The ocean's life down under,
Fills us with wonder.
(I think this was for our unit on the sonnet, maybe? Also, Poetry in Ocean? I thought I was so clever. Truth be told, I kind of like this one. The eggnog line gets me every time.)
Maybe someday I'll publish some other gems from my collection. Here's a sneak peek at some of the other titles: "Ever Changing," "A Constant War," "Sonnet to Books," and my personal favorite, "Box."
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
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4 comments:
Funny, I'm reading this instead of writing a paper about marine biology (plant chemical defenses in the sea: woot!).
Once I a) realized I was NOT a good enough writer to do structured poetry and b) got over my angsty teenage song lyric phase, my poetry got a LOT better. You apparently did not suffer from either of these impediments as much as I did.
Ohmygoodness! It's so embarrassing sometimes to look through old papers and poems! Of course it shouldn't be that way -- everyone is young at some point and believes they are writing masterpieces. But gosh, I hate re-reading my old poems. They were never really my strong suite, anyway . . .
I do like the Ocean one. :) The eggnog line is wonderful. :)
Hahaha. This is epic. I love reading my old stuff from middle school like this, and remembering how I thought it was the best thing ever. So glad I am not alone in that. ^^
Also, I have to say, that eggnog line is quite inspired.
Your "Road Not Taken" can apply to many different times in one's life. I love it.
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