PWard+Poetry+Page

//A poet's autobiography is his poetry. Anything else is just a footnote.// ~ Yevgeny Yevtushenko

I nominate Alicia Suskin Ostriker as my poet.

Demeter to Persephone code I watched you walking up out of that hole

All day it had been raining in that field in Southern Italy

rain beating down making puddles in the mud hissing down on rocks from a sky enraged

I waited and was patient finally you emerged and were immediately soaked

you stared at me without love in your large eyes that were filled with black sex and white powder

but this is what I expected when I embraced you Your firm little breasts against my amplitude

Get in the car I said and then it was spring code - This poem is actually a sort of metaphor in a way. This poem talks about the coming of spring through the mythology of Persephone and Demeter bringing forth Spring, after Persephone had eaten the Pomegranate in Hades' lair. Though, if one didn't know from the writing or the nature of the poem, one could clearly tell it's the progression from winter to spring, since it is mentioned at the end of the poem. The speech and the direction of the poem is rather calming and relieved. The reader would be able to tell since the poem begins with 'I' and then moves on, describing on how the author 'Waited and was patient' for her daughter's return.

Insomnia code But it's really fear you want to talk about and cannot find the words so you jeer at yourself

you call yourself a coward you wake at 2 a.m. thinking //failure//, //fool//, unable to sleep, //unable to sleep//

buzzing away on your mattress with two pillows and a quilt, //they call them comforters//, //which implies that comfort can be bought and paid for, to help with the fear, the failure// your two walnut chests of drawers snicker, the bookshelves mourn the art on the walls pities you, the man himself beside you

asleep smelling like mushrooms and moss is a comfort but never enough, never, the ceiling fixture lightless velvet drapes hiding the window

traffic noise like a vicious animal on the loose somewhere out there— you brag to friends you won't mind death only dying

what a liar you are— all the other fears, of rejection, of physical pain, of losing your mind, of losing your eyes,

they are all part of //this!// Pawprints of //this!// Hair snarls in your comb this glowing clock the single light in the room code - If one were to describe this poem in one word, it would be 'Frantic' or 'Stressed'. The poem's meaning is vague, due to the fact that the poem's language and form is really chaotic, the way the spacing is, the various hyphens causing pauses in the reading, and the italics on some of the words. The lines are all over the place. What the reader can tell by the poem was that the author was or had difficulties sleeping. The descriptions like 'traffic noise like a vicious animal' and 'all the other fears, of rejection, of physical pain,' tell the reader that the author hated being an insomniac, and would rather have another fear than the fear of sleeping. The fear is defined by the lines in each stanza, using powerful words like 'Vicious', 'fear', 'failure'. This fear turns into self-maiming, due to the fact that he or she cannot sleep, and must continue living in fear of the darkness within her mind.

Exile code The downward turning touch the cry of time fire falling without sound plunge my hand in the wound

children marching and dying all that I do is a crime because I do not reach their mouths silently crying

my boychild reaches with his mouth it is easy, being a mother his skin is tender and soft kisses stitch us together

we love as long as we may then come years without kisses when he will turn away not to waste breath

when I too will fall embracing a pillow at night touching the stone of exile reaching my hand to death code The poem is interesting, to say the least, and its messages are mixed about. The author wrote this poem to describe the fate of a child becoming a man and leaving what they called 'home'. This is evident because the author talks about children many times. It tells the reader that at one time, she had had a son, before, later on, her son had to leave her in order for him to make a new life. The flow of the poem is swift and quick, but vague until the last few lines. It's as if the author didn't want to say outright what was happening, unlike her other poems, that had came out and said what it was about at some point in the poem. Her melancholy was expressed by the second line onward from the third stanza. “A time without kisses, when he will turn away” is the moment where the author's son left her, and probably never came back, since the author hinted at the moment in where she would be alone when she finally is snatched up by the hands of death, ‘embracing a pillow at night, touching the stone of exile, reaching my hand to death’.

Ode to Friends By Phoenix Ward --- To those who had met us

To those who had come to our aid

To those who met us with a single word

And started a connection

A connection that became a pathway

A pathway that took us left and right

Up and down

Northward and Eastward

Until the paths finally met each other.

We may be apart now

And we might not ever see each other again

But so long as we keep walking our wild paths and keep one another in mind

Our paths may cross again

<span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">And our stories will be told <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">--- <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">That Kind of Person <span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;">By Phoenix Ward

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">I was raised by <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Maccaroni and Cheese <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Churches and Religion <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">"You're going to be a good kid" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Kind of Grandmother <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Some Disney watching <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Animal Loving <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Black History learning <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">"Black people are subtly treated differently" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Kind of Mother <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">I was raised by <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Hard Working <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Sarcastic Overloading <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Joking <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Silly <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">"Get over here, you're gonna get a beatin'" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Kind of father. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">I was raised by <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Unintelligent Story telling <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Too grown up for this <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Joke telling <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">"Yo momma' so fat" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Kind of kids <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">I was raised by <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Antisocialing <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Whiter than these laptops <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Cliquing <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">"You're wierd" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Kind of kids

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">I was raised by <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Art loving <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Wolf loving <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Understanding <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">"We're all wierd" <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Kind of Friends <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">I was raised <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">By my own strength <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">My own Heart <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">With my own will <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">and My own Individuality

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">I was raised <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">By my perserverance <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">My mind <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">My wit

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">I

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Was <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Raised

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">By

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Fate. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">--- <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">You are Not What They Say <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">by Phoenix Ward <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Roses are red <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Violets are blue... <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">No... no... <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Your beauty shines brighter than a thousand... <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Screw that. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">I'm sick and tired of this <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">I'm tired of the false adjectives placed upon your body <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">You are not perfect <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">You are not without flaw <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">You don't have the beauty of a thousand suns <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">The earth would be destroyed if that were true <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">You're not the gorgeous stars in the night, <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">You are not the moon in the sky on a sunny day <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">You are not the morning dew <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Or the cat perched so comfortably on the window sill <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">You are simply the apple of the tree <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">But not of the orchard <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Roses are red <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Violets are blue <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">You are not perfect <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">But I still love you. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">- <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Many of these poems listed and created are free verse. Though the poems have no rhyme scheme, and are a simple as writing an essay, they do have a tone of voice that is and can be stronger than rhyming poems. Take Alicia's poems, for example. The lines use words that pull out emotion using powerful words, line placement, and other various effects to make the reader keep his eyes on the paper and not look away until they finished it. Though my poetry is not as good as Alicia's it is still notable due to the fact that it still has a strong voice.