Ms. Widman
High School Creative Writing
Week 2: What In The World of a Poem?
This week we explored world building in poetry. The class read the beautiful love poem “The Quiet World” by Jeffery McDaniel. We discussed the limitations the poet puts on the world of the poem and how the restriction of language affects all aspects of society. We brainstormed ways we would change the world in a minor way to have a large impact: we talked gun violence and racism, we talked the big stuff and we talked the small stuff. We all agreed that there should be no talking before 9AM. The students then picked one of the five restrictions they brainstormed and wrote about a single day under those parameters. The students wrote hilarious and enlightening poems. I am so proud to publish two poems that took our world and made it into something more beautiful with a little change.
Life of Nature
by Tony L.
See: a nice view of bird, of guilds, showing animals
kindness who struggle to receive food like us.
I want to touch the cloud to the skies. Something I want
to understand, but keep hearing death is coming at me.
See: the future outcome.
Don’t mind me. See: myself, I died–neither losing myself,
talking negative vibes, being alone, letting the outcome
do his thing, his nature. See: how I am being alone, sitting at a desk in any place.
No matter what warpath I go on, or I go to, see: there will always be death
coming at me.
Sharing
by Madison S.
Wake up in a tree,
hop on my T-rex
riding in the breeze.
Jungle Mama is here!
Get my lion and go fishing.
Something seems to be missing.
Grab my friend, Emma,
who’s under my umbrella.
Sun slowly fades.
We laugh in the parade
then hop on our octopus
and slither on away.
Wait, but Emma has donkey legs!
