I have always had a fire for writing poetry, but I never felt comfortable about publicizing my pieces until this year.

Poetry is a beautiful enigma, because even the simplest of topics have such profound meanings.

I began writing poetry in the sixth grade, shortly after a writing assignment in Mrs. Irene Whitaker’s reading class. We were assigned to write a poem about our best friends. I wrote about EmmaJane Canady, who is still my closest friend to this day. I had been composing tirelessly all week and,before I knew it, the day came to deliver my poem.

Every student was to recite his or her poem to the class. Unexpectedly, I was the second student asked to recite their piece. Being the bashful, unassuming sixth-grader I was, I felt as though I was going to faint.

Just as I began to speak, the butterflies began to disappear. I was magically transported to a mythical world, consisting only of my words. Later, I learned that Mrs. Whitaker had been reading my poem to her other classes.

After hearing of this, I decided to persist on my poetic journey. During the seventh and eighth grade, I wrote significantly less poetry than I do now. Currently, I write, as I call them ‘scribbles’  as much as I can.

In April, which is National Poetry Month, I decided to enter the Stratford Poetry and Fiction Slam. Any willing high school student could compose his or her piece to recite in the Barnes & Noble venue. First I read my poem entitled, “The Ornamental Pear.” Once I advanced to the finals, I read “The Frozen Wood.” Out of the conglomeration of scribbles and poems I have composed, “The Ornamental Pear” is my favorite.

This poem was inspired by an article I read about the symbolism behind ornamental pear trees and their blossoms. In ancient China,  people believed the blossoms were symbolic of safety, peace, and the strength of love.

I plan to compose many more pieces of poetry throughout my high school career. I feel as though Stratford is not influenced by poetry, but I plan to change that soon. I am currently trying to plan and organize a poetry club at Stratford next year.