Grade School Dickinson

I must have been around eight when I wrote my first poem. At least, the first poem I can remember writing. There was a bunny and a snowman and it was complete with an artistic crayon interpretation. I’m sure my Mother even has it stored somewhere for safekeeping. I loved to rhyme, and I’m sure there were poems that came before this one I remember the most. There have been a literal hundreds of poems since then, I can state that with absolute confidence.

My poem was about a bunny building a snowman and then taking cover in tree branches as the snow fall grew denser. Now I don’t remember the exact words, but I can remember the art that accompanied it far more vividly. Either way, the entire piece was well received and ignited something in me to continue writing poems and eventually, short stories.

Poetry writing lead to poetry reading, I began to read the poems of Emily Dickinson, and found a kinship with her words. The more I read, the more I wanted to write. In class, I would be scribbling down poems in my note books and always eager to talk about poetry in my english classes. I strongly remember doing a final project on WB Yeats the Stolen Child and getting an A+. Poetry became like a tattoo on my skin, words with me no matter where I went.

Though I can't remember the exact words of my poem that really started it all for me, I do still have copies of some of my high school works. I wasn't the proudest of them then, but looking back on my 15 year old self, I'll be proud enough for the both of us.

The Lone Flower

A little blue flower, growing alone,

sprouting through sand, with no other to turn to...

relying on herself and the sun, the rain.

Her petals will bloom soon, just as long as she can brave the cold,

but without her sun... can she survive the isolation?

will she fade away like others before her?

A little blue flower, growing alone,

searching for her sun.

she's reaching out to find her friend,

not realizing how much she's grown.