Brooke

A Not-So-Superficial Change – Poem by Me

July 14, 2020July 3, 2020BrookeLeave a comment

her hair tickled her shoulder, sharp
and blunt-cut like stray pieces of 
dewy grass mowed down on a Sunday
morning. it brought seriousness to her

baby face, the apple-round chin becoming
triangular with a second glance. she
felt bold, ready to walk through hot coals
and prove her newfound power, wield

it like a sword.

I hope you enjoyed this super short piece! I wrote a couple short little scenes and used them for inspiration for the last few (short) poems on here– if you prefer longer poems, don’t worry! I’ll have some posted soon. Please feel free to share feedback or writing challenges in the comments. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Boxed In – Poem by Me

July 13, 2020July 3, 2020BrookeLeave a comment

a square we're all trapped in
prisoners and officers of our own jails

optional but it's for the best so we keep
ourselves two-dimensional in these little

black and grey boxes online and look
at the outside world from our windows with

light streaming in to remind us what we're 
missing. more boxes: we can't stop putting

ourself in boxes and finding more boxes
to put ourselves in.

I hope you enjoyed this quick little poem! It sums up my feelings about Zoom and missing in person interaction right now. My family has reverted to being extra cautious about leaving the house again now that California is having a second wave. Please feel free to share feedback and/or writing challenges in the comments! Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Wandering in the Park – Poem by Me

July 12, 2020July 3, 2020BrookeLeave a comment

a cold park bench in the dead heat of July;
a rarity yet i wish there was someone beside

me to bring warmth back into my body
it's lonelier to be lonely in the summer

i feel like a china doll collecting dust as i sit
waiting for something that's not coming

so i walk around, take the long path by the
thick dewy grass that hasn't been mowed in 

weeks, and listen to your voice calling me 
in my mind

This was a super short piece, but I hope you still enjoyed it! I honestly stopped going to the park by myself since it’s a lot nicer to walk around with friends and family… I know it’s completely acceptable to go places by yourself, but quarantine loneliness is getting to me. Please let me know if you have any feedback on this piece or writing challenges you’d like me to share. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

A Gift – Poem by Me

July 11, 2020July 2, 2020BrookeLeave a comment

sun shining through the shutters, the world
smiles down on you today. the scent of bacon
and toast wafts up the stairs, but you only have
eyes for the big, gold box that's been in your

room untouched for weeks. open me! the sparkly
scarlet gift tag reads. and so you do, tearing the
paper off a box, the satisfying noise slicing 
through the humid air. to your disappointment, 

the box is empty. but the doorbell is ringing and 
you have to go answer it. could it be? the person
you've been missing for so many hours, so many
sleepless nights....

I hope you enjoyed this poem! It was definitely a cheesy one, but I tried to remove the cliché reunion ending, so that’s up to your interpretation. Please let me know if you have any feedback on this piece or any writing challenges you’d like me to try in the near future. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Poems I’ve Read Recently That You Should Too

July 10, 2020July 2, 2020BrookeLeave a comment

Hello everyone!

Today I’m going to be sharing some poems I’ve recently read and enjoyed. All of them are works I’ve discussed in my writing workshop last week, since that’s what I’ve been doing this entire week. It’s been an amazing experience and you can definitely expect a whole separate post on that sometime soon. If you’re interested in reading some awesome poems and possibly discovering new poets, keep on reading!

Fast Gas by Dorianne Laux – An interesting twist on a love poem, and one you need to read at least twice to get the full effect.
Wife by Ada Limón – Another love poem. This one’s powerful but a little heavier in terms of the feelings surrounding the love.
Gold by Donald Hall – I absolutely love the images in the very beginning of this poem. It’s a short one, and another love poem (I took a mini-class on love poems so that’s why there’s a few to start this off)
If I Should Die Tomorrow, Please Note That I Will Miss the Particular by Chen Chen – This has a stronger tinge of sadness, but overall still a heartwarming love poem. It has a lot more concrete details.
What Kind of Times Are These by Adrienne Rich – This took me quite a few reads and other people’s perspectives in discussion to fully unpack. I’m still not the best at interpreting poetry, but this poem is still beautiful and definitely worth a read.
A Louder Thing by Tiana Clark – An important read. Clear and cuts straight to the point, but still has surprising metaphors.
Curly, My Tangler by Jessica Jacobs – This is a super sweet poem and I absolutely love the imagery.
Failing and Flying by Jack Gilbert – I love the way this poem flows. It intertwines the speaker’s personal story with the myth of Icarus and shifts our perspective on Icarus’ downfall.
Feet by Ross Gay – The momentum in this poem is so interesting. From beginning to end there’s so many different emotions and ideas presented.
Autobiography of Eve by Ansel Elkins – This offers such a powerful, feminist twist of the story of Eve in persona. I loved it, and it’s short and sweet as well.
How Can Black People Write About Flowers At a Time Like This by Hanif Abdurraqib – This is super relevant to the times, and I love how the author takes the image of flowers and uses them in an unexpected way.
Infinity Ghazal Beginning with Lice and Never Ending With Lies – by Tarfia Faizullah – I didn’t know what a ghazal was before reading this poem, but it’s a really interesting type of poem and this one is so intriguing and beautiful. I’ve read it quite a few times since.
not an elegy for Mike Brown by Danez Smith – The references to Greek mythology in this piece is quite unexpected, and overall it has an important message that’s stated quite eloquently and beautifully.

I hope you’re inspired to check out some of these poems! It’s been such an amazing experience to take part in a writing workshop and get exposed to so many different authors and types of poetry. Please let me know if you have any favorite poets or poems you think I should check out. Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Happy Place(s) – Poem by Me

July 9, 2020June 26, 2020Brooke4 Comments

where is your happy place
       not the one out in the world, the one in your head

do you imagine beaches, forests, mountains
       or something else altogether in that little space

that no one else can invade, the place safe 
       from everyone in the world, including yourself 

or do you imagine something different,
       something secret, not to be described in words on the page

i wish i could show you mine
       through a window to my thoughts

but instead i will let you wonder where
       it is, and try to let your mind take you there yourself

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It’s interesting to reflect on what your happy place really is, or at least what you think it is/the idea of it. Please let me know if you have any feedback or writing challenges you’d like to share. Stay safe and healthy out there!

Brooke

On An Island – Poem by Me

July 8, 2020June 26, 2020BrookeLeave a comment

a couple years ago, i was far away from home
the ocean was my view as far as i could see

and i couldn't believe the greenery around me
i didn't appreciate or realize how easy it was

to fall into the island lifestyle, island time
until i returned. but those weeks and how much i

enjoyed them are my little secret. a motion picture
in my mind to play and remind myself

of the island life i could have, and the island life
i might live permanently one day.

I hope you enjoyed this piece! It was based off my trip to Hawaii I took two years ago. Of course, it makes sense that I’m longing for beaches and vacation time since I know I won’t be able to travel for a long time. I’m not a huge traveler and no one in my family is either, but I cherish the opportunities I’ve had to see new places. Please share any feedback or writing challenges you’d like me to consider! Stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

Loose Ends – Poem by Me

July 7, 2020June 26, 2020BrookeLeave a comment

i never thought you would be an ending
someone that i had to cut loose and

tie up in my mind so i wouldn't think about
you anymore. and once we had our ending,

i never thought i would miss you this much
and want to reminisce on our beginning

like an old, forgotten pair of shoes from some
special event that you just want to walk

around in again and wear one last time before
sending them off to the donation bin

i'm sorry it had to be this way and i wish i 
wasn't sitting here comparing us to shoes

but we've come to an end, and i need to tighten
up before i come undone and let you in again

I hope you enjoyed this piece! As a side note, I’m honestly not sure what the featured image for this post is (I get all my pictures from unsplash.com, they are not mine!). I just thought it looked interesting and that the vibe fit with this poem. Please feel free to share any feedback or writing challenges you may have and want me to consider. Stay safe and healthy out there!

Brooke

Kaleidoscope – Poem by Me

July 6, 2020June 26, 2020BrookeLeave a comment

i am surrounded by color but i feel
so grey. what you can see when you

care to look is mesmerizing, so i continue
to be an observer through this lens

and try to wash myself with the vibrant
hues of what i see. i want to swim

in rainbow rivers, travel to places that
don't exist outside of my mind. 

when i see the colors, i can imagine
it all being real

I hope you enjoyed this piece! I kind of got inspired by myself– that sounds so narcissistic– what I mean is a line from a piece I wrote in my writing workshop had the word “kaleidoscope” in it, and that gave me the idea to write this poem. It’s a fun one, as I love to write about color. Please share any feedback or writing challenges you may want me to consider trying out, and stay safe and healthy out there.

Brooke

In The Hills – Poem by Me

July 5, 2020June 26, 2020BrookeLeave a comment

there's a place we can go
to ride our bikes or take a hike
up in these hills the possibilities
feel endless and there's not

another soul in the world 
they're greener this year, rolling
with grass. i think they only get
more and more beautiful

i'll take you there and we can
talk about our dreams until
the sun sets and the sky turns black
we can be free up in these hills

I hope you enjoyed this piece! I would love to go to a place like the one I described 🙂 Also, since I forgot to say it before, happy July everyone! I can’t believe how fast time is flying. Stay safe and healthy out there. Please feel free to share any feedback or writing challenges you’d like me to try out in the future in the comments!

Brooke