The World Is Flat

And so begins the poetry from my Sophomore year of high school.  It's 1995 and I am fifteen years old (I did not turn 16 until July).  I did not keep the assignment sheet, so I don't know what the assignments were for this Poetry Unit.  So here we go!
From what I can tell, this one is supposed to be some sort of split poem format.  I am trying to get it right, but it's not that easy.  Kurtis (that guy I married) tells me I need to create tab stops, and that I can't do that in HTML.  He would know, so we're trying something else.

Today

So I am at the end of my 1994 folder and I was looking through all the poems from my next folder and I came across this poem I wrote when I was in 8th grade.  Apparently, I entered it into a contest.  I don't think it won anything, but it's pretty cute.
So here's a poem I wrote when I was 13:

Today

Today my little sister said,

"Melissa, I am a lion and

I'm going to eat you

For my dinner! Ha ha ha!"

"Oh, no!" I cried. "Help me!

Save me! Ah, but wait!

I am an eagle and I will fly away!

So then you will not eat me!

No, not today!"

"Now I am an airplane,"

My little sister said.

"I will run into you 

And then you will fall!

Then I will be a lion and

Then I will eat you for my dinner."

"Oh, yeah!  Well, now I am a dolphin!

And I will swim away!

Then you will not eat me!

No, not today!"

"Then I will be a shark!

I will find you,

Then I will eat you for my dinner!"

"Then I will be a gila monster!

They live in the desert.

They are poisonous and

They bite people!

So now you will not eat me!

No, not today!"

"Then I will be a dragon.

I will burn you and cook you!

Then, I will eat you!

Yes, today!"

"Okay!  I give up!

You win!

Today, you will eat me!

Yes, today!"

What an imagination

My little sister has

For as you can see,

I've been had!

(1993 - or it could have been 1992 depending on the time of year.  Who knows really.)

Baptism

Baptism

Under, under I go.
Dressed white as snow.
Submerged by water.
My heart falters.
With joy in my heart,
As well as my soul,
I come up clean.

(October 8, 1994)

Anyhow

Anyhow

I hear
But can not see.
I touch.
But can not feel.

I am waiting.
But it never comes.
I am wanting.
But it never gives.

What for?
I know not.
But I do.
Anyhow.

(Sometime in 1994)

Rare

I don't really like this poem.  The subject matter is great, but this is just a really crappy poem.  Not gonna lie.  I think line two is where I turn myself off.  Then it's all down hill from there.

Rare

They say love is dead.
But I've got a head.

Love is alive!
Love is real!

Pure and innocent love is rare.
Share it, wear it, make it flourish.

Just don't hide it.
Never lock it up.

Don't throw away the key.
Or all will be lost.

True love is rare.
Oh, so rare.

(Written sometime in 1994.  Let me remind you that means I was 15.  Perspective.)

Tonight

Tonight

Tonight he sleeps.
Tomorrow he weeps.
As for me,
I can not sleep.
I can not weep.
I am forever awake.
I am forever dry.
I am forever alive.

(Written sometime in 1994)

Listen

Listen

I am speaking
But you do not listen.
I want to be heard,
But you think I'm absurd.
My ideas mean nothing.
You don't want to hear.
You are sleeping
In your closed up world.
Open your mind.
Listen to others.
And maybe you will find
Another.

(1994)

What Can't Be Found

What Can't Be Found

I wander the streets,
Roaming the world.
Looking for something
That can't be found.

I am aimlessly,
Forever going in circles.
Never ceasing.
I can not stop.

I am looking
For what can't be found.

(Sometime in 1994)

The Adventure

Try not to read too much into this poem.  I was just being silly.  I hope it makes you laugh.

The Adventure

I ran around a mountain

And fell into a fountain.

Drank it dry

And began to cry,

"Oh, me!  Oh, my!"

My stomach hurt.

I drank too much.

Have you ever heard of such

A silly thing as that?

I gave myself a pat.

I sat up

I found a pup.

It said,

"Hello, my name is Fred.

I am here to find,

To help rewind,

To help induce vomitting."

When Fred helped,

I yelped!

Fred was silly.

But I was Billy!

(Probably August.  Definitely 1994.  No date was written down.)

Together As One

Together As One

We are few
There is too much hate.
Love is precious.
Love is rare.

Love is what we have
Love is what we need.
Hate is foolish.
Foolishly we hate.
We hate and don't know why.

Problems can be worked out.
There is no need for hatred.
There is no need to fight.
Frustration is human.
(And that we are!)

But peace can be just as human.
It will not be easy,
But with a little love
And a little less hate
We can go far.
We can bring the world together as one.

(August 8, 1994)

Forever

Forever

Not yet.
Not now.
Don't go.
Don't leave.
I can't let you
Not after our vow.

We promised we'd stay together
For as long as forever.
We meant so much to each other.
How can you throw it all away?

Remember yesterday?
We ran through the park.
We were so silly.
We used to bark.
We used to have such fun.

You can't go.
You can't leave.
We made it forever.
We can make it together.

(August 8, 1994)

If It Is Your Time To Go

If It Is Your Time To Go

If it is your time to go
Remember I will always love you.
I will always love you.

If it is your time to go,
I won't forget
All the times we shared.
All the memories.

If it is your time to go,
Will I ever know happiness again?
Will I ever love another
As I loved you?

If it is your time to go,
I will remember.
I know my love is forever.
I only wish that we could be together.

If it is your time to go.
If it is your time to go.

(August 9, 1994)

The Day You Died

The Day You Died

You left long ago.
Ten years I've lived without
Without you.
Devastation and frustration
Overpowered me.
I couldn't go on without
Without you.
But still I go on.
I still am alone.
No one compared to you.
I tried to love again.
But none came.
All my love went with you.
The day you died.

(August 8, 1994)