‘Poetry? Did Mrs. Ring just say poetry?

Roses are Red, Violets are blue, what’s new?

That’s all the poetry I ever knew

A haiku? What was that?

Oh boy, I may want this lesson to go fast’

Seventh grade and unamused

Mrs. Ring read the first poem

I may actually enjoy this

She kept reading

I kept falling in love

Read our own?

Nerves ran through my body like an electric surge

Standing in front of my class

Timid and scared of the feedback

I started to read

‘My tears fell like bombs during war on innocent souls’

“Stop there”

Was it bad? What did I do wrong?

Surprised, Mrs. Ring was blown away

One of the best poems?

I smiled and my heart thumped with excitement

My pen didn’t stop writing my thoughts

Poem, after poem

Stressed, sad, happy, in love

I wrote

My emotions, the cheetah

The paper, the prey

Poetry became a piece of my heart

Losing that would not make me whole

It is my escape, my Wonderland

Always there when needed the most