2002

this will be brilliant
12th grade creative writing class
a teenager attempts to write something that matters
it's too much prose not enough poem
the teacher always says
that's too descriptive
not descriptive enough
need to create meaningful metaphors
like about your heart of stone
black as the pavement
surrounded by an iron gate
instead you write about being a sagittarius
and shooting flaming arrows and
jupiter and
hoof prints in the soil
an ode to a t-shirt
writing satire before you knew what satire was
a noisy poem about working in a restaurant and
a childhood friend you lost contact with and
something about an old, broken down boat and
fishing trips with dad and
memories and
fallen leaves and
a teddy bear that knows what's it's like
when your parents fight
at night
trying to write as well as your best friend
and failing and
high school was maybe too easy until now and
i don't know how to put all my angst into a poem and
why am i trying to and
i'm sorry, Ms. Arra
i'm not a poet