Ms. Mensen's 10th grade Journalism Project: Poetry 101

Poetry submission: One of them is using “The Shovel Method” (where you take a line of a poem and write your own based on how the line inspired you). We read “Like an Eagle” by Nikki Grimes so this first submission is based on inspiration from that, though it is an original piece.  The second poem is a free-verse poem about the pressure of always following the rules. Both of these were submitted by 10^th graders.

“Proud to be Me”

By Elizabeth T. 

I’m proud I got this colored skin.

I’m proud my eyes have a brown tint.

I’m proud my hair is dark and runs

long to tell my story.

I’m proud it’s my father’s blood I carry.

I’m proud to be in my shoes. 

I wouldn’t trade my melanin skin 

for any other hue.

I’m proud to me. 

“Clean and Smooth”

By Than S.

I try to be.

I slowly figure out I 

can’t be seen.

I start to fade into

the dark.

So smooth.

So clean…

I couldn’t be seen.