Here is my lame attempt at poetry. Don't laugh, ok? I'm taking a creative writing class that my friend Aliza recommended to me (she's in it). It's an "Intro to Poetry Writing" class, and so far, it's been pretty fun. The teacher is absolutely nuts but he's hilarious, so it makes for a good time. You see, I'm not a stranger to the world of poetry, I've been writing my teenage angst-ridden musings for years. I've even been published (wouldn't you all just like to know where? Well I can't tell you because then you'd know my *real* name) :-p. But maybe sometime I'll post the poems that got me published on here, because I doubt that anyone has actually ever read them before. Anyway. This poem is a work in progress, feel free to leave comments on what you like/dislike, etc. Thanks!
Matthew
Standing there
cold and pacing.
A chance meeting,
I knew you in high school
Making conversation
How have you been and what's new?
Being friendly because we're glad to see a familiar face--
someone from home, because we fancy ourselve part of an elite--ha, yeah, elite--
group of people known as "People Not from Chicago or the Suburbs"
and it unites us.
We realize now that we were immature back then
And while I can't forget the hurtful words you said to me that made me uncomfortable with myself
I forgive you, even though it's just silently to myself, and I smile at you and chat about the past few years
I see you now in a different light
You're softer, sweeter.
Maybe you've changed, or maybe it's me.
I don't need your approval anymore,
there's no popularity contest to win
Just two people who knew eachother "back when"
When we were confused, hormone-driven teenagers who cared only about what everyone else thought
and didn't give a shit about our own well-being.
We just tried to fit in.
So we stand here, shivering and talking
And as my anger at those painful memories fades to pity
for the angry young man you were, and slowly melts into compassion and understanding
I smile again at you
Because it really was nice
To see you again
And you say I should get in touch with you sometime
I agree and say I will
Although a part of me thinks that you were just being polite
But maybe not--because I really do think you've changed
I don't know
So in case you really did mean it, I'll call you sometime
and we can stand there,
Shivering and talking.
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2 comments:
I think poetry is a very cool, versatile medium. I like the way the story is broken up yet cohesive and not choppy.
I had a nutty, funny poetry professor like that too, back in the day. Glad you're enjoying the class!
Thanks, RM! Yeah, this is my first attempt at writing something about "the mundane, everyday stuff" as my professor calls it. Most of my previous work was, quite honestly, a bit on the snooty side...Well, not snooty, but I just always thought that you had to write about something really "deep" in order to write good poetry--and so a lot of what I wrote came from painful or sad experiences. Now I'm learning that anything can be poetry if you want it to be! Shabbat Shalom!
-Hila
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