Poems

Random Autobiography
by Bree

I was the child that never stopped crying, the one who shouted, "Don't look at me!"
Watched "Duck Tales" while braiding Barbie's long, pretty hair
Ate canned pumpkin for dessert
Fell asleep on Daddy's big gut, while watching baseball games
I remember the dark hallway to my room, with scary thoughts of Chucky hiding in every corner.

I twirled batons down endless streets
Twirled it in sports halftimes, and Laker games
I rode on Ferris wheels with my dad and felt the unpleasant experience when funnel cake combines with the Zipper
Watched "All My Children" with my mom and rode my Great Dane as a horse.

I learned at an early age that other kids will bite back.
I fell off the jungle gym and got a fat lip.

Hopscotch, foursquare, tetherball and handball
I remember the long summers at UCSB day camp
Brothers and sisters have come and gone: Madison, Troy, Sotera, Triston and Dakota
I've cooked stuffed cabbage with Grandma and once suffered from swollen lymph nodes.

Three times, I misplaced my baby blanket
Once I snuck out of my house at 3 a.m. to bring my friend a popsicle.

I have stayed up late reading Goosebumps
Climbed a mountain, and didn't stop until the top
Felt the thrill of breaking the rules and have slept through large earthquakes
I have given my dog mouth to mouth
I lost seven newborn puppies and their mom in one day.

The Easter Bunny left me a trail of Peeps down the stairway and Santa Clause's reindeer pooped on my roof.
I have been biting my nails for eleven years.
I saw Titanic five times, and never again.
I have been dragged onto a stage and embarrassed myself in front of a large audience.
I played a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz.
I have felt the pain of running cross-country, and the exhilaration of winning the 400 by 400-meter relay.
I have learned from my mistakes and placed worry dolls under my pillow.
I have kept a diary and woke up with pink, itchy bumps all over my body.
I wish on stars and ponder the future.

——

Lost Feelings
by Rachel

It is a deeper pain that stabs
When one is left behind,
A deeper hope that dies
When the truth is forced to hide.

There is something stronger than anger
That tears you up inside.
There is a place called confusion
Where feelings get lost and die.

Tears now flow as once before,
Opening up my heart's emotional door,
Like water from a dam on drought-stricken land,
Still empty of heart and empty of hand.

——

A Poem about My Mom: My Token to Her
by Rachel

She
Gave me life
Then taught me how to live

She
Handed me a book
Then showed me how to read it

She
Played music
Then encouraged me to dance

She
Devoted her heart to me
Then told me to find one just like it

She
Gave me a mirror
Then helped me be proud of who I saw

Mom,
Thanks for your never-ending love.

——

Sally Grows Up
by Natalie

When Sally was a kid
Her spirit was unconfined
She trusted in herself
And ran with a carefree mind

But now she begins to notice more
The way girls dress and the way boys strut
Teenage fever shakes her up
Nerves tremble in her gut

Concerned, she bites her lip
What will her friends say?
She needs their approval
To make her day

She makes her mirror the enemy
And hates the way she looks
Too much fat here, "I'm so ugly" she says
It was her self-esteem that the world took

Now she's careful with what she eats
And wears whatever is cool
She gave up sports because that wasn't “in”
And has become a social tool

Her childhood days are long lost
Her spirit, flat inside
Although she may be popular
It's all a bunch of lies

What Sally will discover
Is the secret to living life
You must think yourself beautiful
To overcome internal strife

People need people
And all people shine
No matter your appearance
The beauty is inside

——

My Coach, Hal
by Lisa

He used to coach football,
now he roams big-bellied, in the gym

from bars to beam
latching steel cables

tightening loose handles
lining up mats for the day.

Sometimes he whistles
happy birdsongs,

puckering his red lips
on a pale round face

his dark eyebrows wiggle
on his forehead, well, fivehead.

Hal came to Tumblers
on the spot without a plan.

Something happened
to his very best friend,

Frank Seabum,
DIED in a car accident.

Frank had big dreams—
to coach a gymnast in the Olympics.

When he died
Hal quit football and took over.

Now a plaque of Frank
hangs on the gym wall.

I'll bet Hal still hopes
he'll do it for Frank, get that big dream.

I wonder—if he believes in me.

——

For Days, I'm a Robot

My first waking thought:
       Workout right now.

My first waking activity:
       50 push-ups on the floor.

My first waking stare:
       In my underwear, gazing in the mirror.

My first waking dialogue:
       Don't obsess—just eat.

My first waking question:
       Will I learn my full-in?

My first waking decision:
       Yes. I'll do it if it kills me. 

Lisa Izzi started writing poetry in high school. The two poems above are from a work-in-progress—a verse novel she worked on in graduate school about a teenage gymnast training to compete for the U.S. National Team. The main character, Jordan, wants this goal more than anything, but she ends up having problems. One day, she decides to quit. The story is about who she is, even if she never reaches her goal.