For my final writing course at uni. we learned about prose poetry. Below are my original attempts at such poems. In a few weeks, I will share the rewrites I did to a few of these poems for my final portfolio. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
Notes on Happiness
You get a surprise call and hear the voice of a loved one. You get lost in your conversation and talk for hours. Maybe something exciting and different is waiting for you in the mail. Was that item on your wish list? Great! They say a scent can bring you back to memories of times past. What scent brings you back in time? Even a compliment from a stranger makes your day.
The basic things in life can turn a frown upside down. Like mouthwatering and aromatic “thanksgiving day” style food. A long night’s rest, a healthy lifestyle, happy family and friends, being financially well off, or contentment of body, mind, and soul.
Are you happy?
What If...
Imagine if people had animal abilities! What would yours be? Would you use it for good or other means?
If you had a nose like a slippery shark, you could smell the faintest whiff of blood. Making your way to the bleeding victim, you help save a life!
What if you had the beady eyes of a hawk? Without taking your feet off the ground, you could know if a police is miles ahead, waiting to stop you for speeding.
If you were a champion runner like a cheetah, you could stop a robber from making an escape with bags full of cash. A natural born hero, you would be popular and loved.
What if you could camouflage like a chameleon? Blending in with wooded furniture or painted walls, you could eavesdrop in conversations you were never meant to hear!
If humans were more like animals, would life be easier, exciting, or exhausting?
In the Shoes of a Teacher
You have dreamed of being a teacher since you were a child and you finally get the chance. Your first day on the job is here! You are as jumpy as a little kindergartener. As you wait to welcome your new students to their classroom, you look around. You are impressed with the crisp new bulletin boards you decorated and can’t wait to hang up your student’s work. Twenty brand new sharpened pencils are waiting in a cup on your metal desk to be used, a woody smell surrounding them. RINGGGGG! The bell lets you know your time alone is up.
You look forward to going to work every day. Being surrounded by young souls takes years off you as they keep you on the tips of your toes. You spent long hours preparing detailed lessons and gathering materials to better teach your students. You go home feeling satisfied, knowing that you made a positive difference in a child’s life.
Half the school year is over! The initial excitement of running you own classroom starts to fade. You try to recall why you wanted to be a teacher in the first place. “Teachers change the world, one child at a time.” Your professor’s voice plays in the back of your head before you are brought back to reality. “Teacher, may I…” “Teacher, he said a bad word!” “Teacher, is it time to go home yet?” The little ones start to wear you down. You go home with a throbbing headache, dreading the mountain of papers waiting to be looked through. Pain relievers become your new best friend.
It is the last day of school! You count down the hours before summer vacation. Your students enjoy themselves at the goodbye party you threw them. As much as you are looking forward to sunny days on the beach and cold drinks with family and friends, the year wasn’t all bad. A smile spreads across your face as you think about how much your students have grown and changed. A few come up and give you goodbye presents, chocolate smeared around their lips. You give them a quick hug in return. RINGGGGG! The bell lets you know your time together is up.
Counting Days
The initial feeling of joy has finally faded. You knew this would happen eventually, like the 7 times before. Letting out a groan, you think of how you will survive. You realize you won’t have much of a personal life after long hard days of work and classes. A tear tries to escape your eyes as you try not to have a mental breakdown.
Blurry-eyed, you look at your bright yellow Post- it notes sticking to your wall. The number 32 stares back at you. Your heart beats a little faster as if running a marathon as you think about graduation. “You deserve this special moment as you stand amongst fellow graduates,” you’ve been told. You will finally have time to take a breath and enjoy life after so long. You could spend more time being a new aunt, entertain yourself staying up late watching movies, or go back to reading a book you can’t put down. Distractions would be welcomed and responsibilities would be pushed aside. Just for a while…
“Take it one day at a time” you tell yourself. You sigh as you head off to bed, marking another day conquered and more to come. Your head touches down on your personal cloud as you easily fall off to sleep.
Booboo
“A baby changes everything…. except for their own diapers!” It has been 10 weeks since you’ve changed my life. Because of you, I went from an “aunt” to khalamoni*.
I look forward to coming home after an exhausting day to see you. You are already active like a volcano! As you twist and turn in my arms, I admire a gift from God. Those plump cheeks always beg for a kiss. I make silly sounds to listen to your baby music. Somehow, you can make a dimple in your right eyebrow appear with a look of curiosity.
You suddenly scream your lungs out, tiny tears escaping your eyes. Are you hungry? Do you need a fresh diaper? Are you tired? Did you imagine a scary monster? I pass my hand through your thin black hair to comfort you. As you lay in my arms, I gently rub your forehead up and down. Within a few minutes, your eyes begin to close.
I close the nursery door behind me and hear a little laugh! I check on you and see a smile on your face, your eyes still closed.
* an affectionate (Bengali) word for aunt
Now What?
You’ve counted down the days until graduation on your planner. Now that it is here, you wonder if it’s all just a dream. You sit in a daze amongst other graduates, proudly wearing your black and orange gown.
Fast forward 7 hours later when all the exciting partying with family and friends comes to an end. Now what?
Do you extend the fun by taking a vacation to Brazil? You imagine all the colorful and breathtaking scenes and exotic wildlife you have come to love thanks to Rio. You might even see a rare blue macaw!
Do you continue searching for a job, like a predator hunting its prey? After all, you did just go through what felt like centuries of studying and completing assignments to be financially independent.
There is the option of going back to school as some have suggested. Scratch that! A minor earthquake in your head starts to form just at the thought of more sleepless nights.
You consider all your options as you get into your pajamas and head to the bathroom. As you brush and floss your teeth, you come to a temporary solution.
“I’ll worry about this in the morning!”
