This Is Me By Kaitlyn Anderson
A few weeks ago in my creative writing class, the teacher gave instructions to write 5 poems. First thing I thought was 5?! How in the world am I going to write 5 poems, I can barely write one, let alone five? Since I must pass this class, I decided to attempt the assignment.
poetry writing is not easy, but once the writing begin, one can find herself immersed in the story being told through the poem. The first poem I will share is titled “This is me”. This poem was based from my insecurities, how I felt that I was
and new age, I thought maybe that was the best time to change, but I had no idea how. I did not want to change my values and beliefs, but at the same time, I wanted to be popular or at least accepted.
I decided to use the line, “ I would feel like an apple that has grown from a plum tree,” not only because I felt it was creative but because I truly did feel like that in middle school and going Looking in the mirror what do I see? into high school. I had no idea how I could make it work, and Flaws, flaws, and more flaws looking back at me. even though I had family telling How can I ever be happy looking how I feel? me how I unique and special Is sadness, depression, frustration is this part of the deal. I was, I still felt I needed my classmates to think of me the Walking through 9th grade hall trying to be different than who I was in middle school, same way. Honestly, I did not Maybe if I more like everyone else, they will think that I am cool. understand how being me was more important than trying to be But how can I be like them and still be me? like everyone else until later in I would feel like an apple that has grown from a plum tree. high school. Having a talk with my friends and family about why they feel I am special, One of my favorite words is Their response is because you are different and unique. the word “unique.” It sounds so Being unique does not make you weak. elegant, pretty, and classy but Looking in the mirror once again I can finally see, also different. I realize that I can be weird in a good way and that And I am happy to finally say that this is me. weirdness makes me who I am. When I share things that people When it was time to be critiqued not good enough. It gives insight on may not know about me, I feel unique. on my poems by my teacher and a time when I felt confused about When I look in the mirror I see things I class, I, of course, automatically start who I was supposed to be and how would like to fix, like my face breaking thinking the worse: that I am about to I was supposed to act. In middle out or a bad hair day, but I still have to be shredded by my classmates and school I went through a period of realize God made me the way I am for teacher! To my shock, the feedback bullying. Before going to a public a reason. I still am searching for that was not negative, it was actually good. school in the 6th grade, I had been exact reason and purpose, but there is The class was shocked about how in a private school. Things were no denying that God made me special. open and real I was in the poems. My much different compared to public poems were based on things I had school. Once I entered public school, One is never too old to read a gone through and the emotions I was I was automatically noticed as being children’s book with a beautiful feeling at that time, mixed with the different from most students there. I message. As a kid my Mom had me emotions that I currently feel. dressed different, I acted different, and read the book, You are Special, by I had this innocence that made it easy Max Lucado, which I highly suggest For the next few publications, I will to be a target. I carried the bullying reading. It’s important to let children share some poems I wrote and the comments with me into high school. know at an early age just how special meaning behind them. Many times Being in ninth grade in a new school God made them.
This is me
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WOMAN TO WOMAN WITH JOANNE : THE MAGAZINE • Issue 34, January 2021
