Ms. Widman
High School Creative Writing
This week the students at Amundsen read “Backwards” by Warsan Shire. We discussed biographical and semi-autobiographical poetry. For the brainstorming exercise, each student was given a photo from a vintage store and thought about the people, time, and place of the photo. The students then went off to write their own poems that had a mirrored effect like Shire’s. I am so proud of them every single week. Here are two stunners from this week’s class.
The Last Photo
by Koraima A.
I say it’s okay,
my grandkid and husband
my dog.
The house that holds my poor secrets and his drunk lies.
The house that made you feel welcomed and loved.
The crazy nights of long lost sleep.
Oh, how distraught my only son would’ve felt.
My death.
My non-ending sickness.
With God as my witness,
I say it’s okay.
I say it’s okay,
with God as my witness.
My non-ending sickness.
My death.
Oh, how distraught my only son would’ve felt.
The crazy nights of long lost sleep.
The house that made you feel welcomed and loved.
The house that holds my poor secrets and his drunk lies.
My dog,
my grandkid and husband,
I say it’s okay.
The New Lie
by Giselle S.
Counting down the New Year
like counting to a new relationship.
A devoting husband and a misfit wife.
Two seemed perfect on the outside
but inside was another story.
One day the wife meets a husband’s friend.
Got along well and very friendly
while the husband was away.
The two seemed inseparable.
Was this mere fate or a lie?
Hiding behind closed doors
with another man that’s not hers.
A new year to come.
As the countdown began,
the wife was in a hurry
on her way to kiss a man who isn’t hers.
What does she have to lose?
What does she have to lose
on her way to kiss a man who isn’t hers?
The wife was in a hurry
as the countdown began.
A new year to come.
With another man that’s not hers,
hiding behind closed doors.
Was this mere fate or a lie?
The two seemed inseparable.
The husband was away while
they got along well and very friendly.
One day the wife meets a husband’s friend.
But inside was another story.
The two seemed perfect on the outside.
A devoting husband and a misfit wife,
like counting down to a new relationship,
counting down the New Year.
