• College Poetry,  Poetry

    Pissed Off: A Short List

    Note: The assignment was to express anger. I definitely had a lot of anger at the time I wrote this rant. This poem has some bad language, so don’t read it if that might offend you. I worked at a department store from the summer before my sophomore year in college until the end of my first year of grad school. “Pissed Off: A Short List”                Free Verse, Poetry Workshop, 2002 My friends think I am angry all the time. They are probably right. On any given day I can list many things that really truly piss me off. Why is it that people steal and don’t even try to hide…

  • College Poetry,  Poetry

    Distant Seas

    “Distant Seas” Sonnet-Metrical Poetry Workshop 2002 It is a song that stirs her memories Of times she misses, hates doing without. She gave up all her dreams of distant seas When she knew that his life was full of doubt. She was a fool to love a man who flees From love. Too scared to commit, he got out. She’s now without him, but better some say. The mom’s babies will grow up with no dad. She tells them of her dreams—a better day. The kids know that things are not all that bad. Big sister watches brothers while they play. Their meal is beans again, they all feel sad.…

  • College Poetry,  Poetry

    Coward

    “Coward” Iambic Pentameter-Metrical Poetry Workshop 2002 Her bright safe haven should be haunted but Warm sun breaks through the cold attic window And over her bruised face onto the stairs. Her best friend, though not real, once lived there with The ghosts and dreams she had not yet foreseen. No one knows she hides there—those steps of loss. The hurt is fresh with agony, anger. His cowardly grace keeps her awake nights. She cries and thinks he could not have hurt her. Not again, she thought she’d be happy then. Disclaimer: I loathe writing metrical poetry. I did the best I could, but wasn’t really happy with anything I wrote…