Poetry

Forest Fire, a poem by Prisha Aswal, 8

FOREST FIRE  Sparks Fly  Crackling Sound Trees Down On fire Smoke rises up to the Sky Wolves Howl Bears Flee Ash Fills up the Ground Elk Run for their Lives. Birds and Butterflies try To Escape to Sky Crickets, Worms and Ants Fry Thunder Strikes,  The Wind Blows, Making it Worse Animals Die Trees Burn, Dogs Bark, Fire Spreads Across, Lives Lost Homes Destroyed , Treasures Gone Memories Turned into Smoke Disappear into the Sky  That has Turned Orange and Red.

Bring on the Gratitude: A Review of “Be Thankful”

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I reviewed a poem about gratitude, called “Be Thankful” by an unknown poet. To me, gratitude means being thankful for what you have instead of thinking about what you don’t have. It is important to feel empathy for individuals who have less than you do and to appreciate all that you have. Everyone can be thankful for something–whether it be food, water, warmth, a house, or family. I chose the poem “Be Thankful” among a whole group of poems about gratitude because I was incredibly inspired by the message and tone of this poem. If you would like to read this poem, here is the link: https://blog.gratefulness.me/gratitude-poems/ “Be Thankful” is a 17-line poem divided into 7 couplets and ending with a three-line grouping. Though it doesn’t rhyme, it repeats the “Be thankful” phrase at the beginning of each stanza, helping emphasize to the reader the central theme of gratitude. The poem is intended to help readers recognize aspects of their lives that are challenging or hard, but nonetheless still could be positive and deserving of gratitude. One of my favorite parts in this poem is the stanza that reads: “Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire, / If you did, what would there be to look forward to?” This stanza highlights the emotion of envy, in which people yearn for things that they don’t have but that other people have. Envy is usually thought of as a negative emotion, but the poet suggests that one should be thankful for not having everything you want because it gives people something to look forward to. From this couplet, I thought about how to turn my jealousy into gratitude. Another one of my favorite parts is the fourth stanza that reads: “It is easy to be thankful for the good things. / A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are / also thankful for the setbacks.” As the holidays approach, it is easy to be happy for the things you have, but the poet emphasizes that people with challenges barreling towards them may be the most lucky because they have even more to be thankful for. In my opinion, this poem was a great kickoff to Thanksgiving, and it really helped me understand how to be thankful. Even if I don’t have everything, it is important to be thankful for what you do have – and if all you have right now are challenges, you can be thankful for those because they can make you better in the long run. I think people should read this poem with their family or friends on Thanksgiving to understand that everyone is a lucky person no matter what the situation is. Enjoy this holiday and time off as much as possible!

Lost Land

Unseen, seen, unseen. Blink and it will disappear. In cover it waits for no one knows what. Lost in the mid-Pacific, traps protect the jewel, never to be found. Only the past may reveal Secrets of the lost.

What My America Looks Like, a poem by Eboni, 13

Eboni Maxwell, 13 (Boston, MA) What My America Looks Like Eboni Maxwell, 13 My America looks like chaos, a burning flame that cannot be put out and continues to grow. My America is dull and bland; I wake up everyday and ask myself ¨Why are most people cruel and mean, racist and unapologetic… What made them this way?” I get ready for school and go to learn, but my mind is constantly running. Thoughts of what would happen if I wasn’t black: could or would I be able to put more of an end to racism? I try to focus but all I hear in my head are the sounds of gunshots, people screaming for their lives and crying babies scared by the loud bangs. As a black female in this world that we live in, I am too afraid to walk anywhere alone with the fear of being shot, kidnapped, or murdered, or worse.   MY world is not at all pretty. Life isn’t what everyone makes it out to be.