My Poetry Portfolio

Hi, welcome to my poetry portfolio! Ive found out while making this that I actually quite enjoy writing
poems, as long as I can choose what they're about, which I didnt expect. Still, to be honest, Ive had a
very hard time coming up with poems that are happy or optimistic. I dont know why, but sad and
negative poems come more easily to me especially if I use an indignant or mocking attitude formy
speaker (which is what I did for my Persona Poem), so although its not like my whole portfolio is the
personification of an angry teenager, the poems I wrote more passionately are the ones that arent
very cheerful. I think its because when Im very engaged on an issue, I dont tend to stay calm. These
issues are things like animal abuse, families dividing, wars, racism, homophobia, addiction, etc, so
those are the ones I tackled (or tried to) in my poems, usually with a very intense attitude.
Everybodys got their writing style, I guess, and that happens to be mine.

Found Poem

Found poems are a type of poetry where you take words, phrases or full passages from other sources
and rearranging them to create a poem, making literary collage of sorts.
I got an article about chair lifts for old people to be able to safely climb the stairs in their houses, and
since they empathized a lot the word home (I suspect that it was to appeal to their audience by
pulling their heartstrings by reminding them of their own homes and families), I decided to make the
poem about home.

Home

A home is where you are safe.

A true home is dependable.
A home is affordable,
And where you stay independent.
 Everyone wants to stay in their homes,
To live there as long as possible,
Since its the place where theyve raised their children,
raised their children to make their own homes.

Teach them to have independance,

To live safely, safely and securely.
To have a home full of life and love,
To make it the heart of the family.

So that when they are in a dangerous day or night,

They can stay safely and affordably in their home,
Since, after all,
Thats what its there for.

Article: Are you in love with your home but afraid of your stairs?

Poetry for Change

For this part of the unit we had to write about an issue in the world, something we want to change. It
could be anything from drug addiction to suicide in any perspective and tone we wanted so my group
and I chose to mock the conflicts humans create because of their tiny differences, since I strongly feel
we all need a wake up call. I like using a degrading attitude when writing poetry about something I
feel people should change (I do it again in my persona poem) because I feel very angry and disgusted
when thinking about these things, so that tone is the way Id like to talk to the ones responsible for
them.

You and Us

We humans may seem illogical,

you might even think its biological,
but in our defense,
it may seem we do things that are silly o stupid,
but do actually make a lot of sense.

You have darker skin?

Then we cant let you win.
We dont care its not your fault,
well kill you 12 percent faster than others,
and beat you to a pulp.

You believe in a god, and I do too,

you'd think that's unite us, wouldnt you?
but no, youre jewish, and I am not,
so well place 6 million of you in camps,
and just let you rot.

And even if we spare your life,

we wont let you, a woman, have a wife.
We care about our beliefs,
We dont care that its love,
Or care about your grief.

Because its perfectly logical, to discriminate,

if you have a different religion, ethnicity, or weight.
Because its always been you and us,
and we dont hesitate to hurt you,
or throw each other under the bus

We could just let you be,

and realise that you are not different that me.
Understand that we are all humans under the same sun,
that our differences are minimal,
instead of at each other pointing a gun.

This is a simple concept, which apparently we can not grasp,

because we continue to fight and our ideals tightly clasp.
Maybe we will be this way forever,
but if all open our minds a little,
in a road of equality and acceptance well surely endeavour.
 Limericks
Limericks are humorous verses of three long and two short lines with the rhyming pattern AABBA.
I wrote limericks about things Ive experienced, my friends have experienced or that I simply care
about, such as not being able to walk properly, families separating and animal abuse. The only I like
the most out of these three is the last one because I was writing about a human at first but when I got
to the third line I decided to do a little twist.

1.The Girl with Crutches

There was a young girl from Spain.
In her leg she felt a sharp pain.
She used two pink crutches,
To which she clutches,
To walk and move around Spain.

2.The Brother Who Left

There was a worried mother,
Who had a missing brother.
He just left one day,
And was on his way,
Without saying bye to the mother.

3. The Mother in the Cage

She was in a tiny cage.
She did not even know her own age.
When with a male she was matched,
Her babies they snatched,
They said cows have to stay in their cage.

Persona Poem
In persona poems, the poets write or speak in first person, like they are the narrator when they
actually might not be.
I wanted to give a powerful message about an issue in the world, since I liked the Poetry for Change
part of the unit. I decided Id write about an issue that might hit closer to home for us than war, since
fortunately thats not our countrys situation. What there is a lot of around here are addictions, from
technology to smoking, so I picked one, the one I thought the most people would understand, got into
character and adopted a mocking, degrading attitude, since thats how I picture addiction devices
would be like if they had a voice: controlling, and anxious to destroy your life bit by bit, and feeling
satisfaction while doing it.

Your Puppet master

You take me once,

You take me twice.
Im just a pill,
Small as a mice.

You tell yourself its serious,

 We both know its not true.
Because youre delirious
Cause you want to be cool.

The moment you took me,

for the first time,
Although it was a dare,
I knew you were mine.

Like a puppet or a rag doll,

you were controlled.
Everybody warned you,
and I have a reputation to uphold.

You had a future,

but that's long gone.
Don't try to blame me,
this is what you've done.

Your house is empty,

and so is your wallet.
Friends you had plenty,
but now they're not coming.

Now you waste away,

like garbage in the street.
Regretting the day,
fate had us two meet.

Place Poem
Place poetry is a form of literature which uses aesthetics, some or all five of the five senses and
rhythmic qualities of language to describe a place.
Ive always liked vast valleys. I like nature, but I find jungles and forests too crowded with plants and
wildlife, kind of overwhelming. Valleys, in the other hand, have the right amount of green or greenish
yellow I love, with some trees and sometimes even mountains in the distance.
I went to a summer camp one time, and I was overjoyed when we stayed overnight in a valley, with
nothing but our sleeping bags. One of the other kids (whose name I dont remember), hated it
however, and spent the whole time complaining. I decided to write in both our points of views, since
thats one time I had a completely different perspective of a situation than someone right next to me,
so her opinion would be useful in this part of the unit since by using it I hardly had to make stuff up.
Thanks, Complaining-Dude-Whose-Name-I-Forgot, I appreciate it.

Alone in the Valley

Positive:
In the valley I sit alone.
No food or car,
 But my mind has been blown.

I did not know stars could shine this bright,

Look like diamonds,
Or be this white.

The smell of wildflowers and the many pine cones,

Sweet as honey, combined with chilly air
Fills my nose.

The brown grass I sit in,

Is humid and fresh.
It tickles comfortably against my flesh.

Cuddled in my jacket I end up falling asleep,

And because I found such a wonderful place,
My tired heart cant help but leap.

Negative:
In the valley I sit alone.
No food or car.
Its seems fate,
With me is at war.

Theres no light, non at all,

Except the stars,
Which help very little,
Oh, how useless they are!

Im hungry and tired,

And theres nothing but trees and wildflowers.
This freezing valley,
Is taking all of my willpower.

I sit on the ground,

which is terribly muddy,
Who knew my luck,
Could be this cruddy?

Its wet all over,

My clothes arent dry.
And if I fall asleep in this horrendous place,
I swear I will cry.

Haikus
Haikus are a type of Japanese poem arranged in in three lines of five syllables, then seven and then
five syllables again. They make a total of seventeen syllables.
 Like limericks, these poems are very short, so I thought of little things I like or feel sometimes, or at
least have seen people feel, and stuff Ive seen while travelling or just looking out the window. One of
the haikus is about Peru, Spain and Chile, all three countries I have family in.

1. The Joy of Books

Pass another page
Then the next one and the next
Enjoying reading

2. The Living Corpse

Im empty inside
No passions or willpower
Dead but living still

3. Thats Just Life

I try very hard
I fail and sometimes succeed
Thats just life, I guess
4. Alpaca
White as a snowflake
And warm like sand on a beach
An alpacas hair

5. Spanish Speaker
Peru, Spain, Chile
Different yet similar
They all speak spanish

6. The Star that Moved

A beautiful star
Hurrying through the dark sky
Oh wait, its a plane

Choice Poem (Persona Poem)

As I said before, in persona poems the poets write or speak in first person, like they are the narrator
when they actually might not be.
The idea for this poem came from me always wondering why we have memorials for people who are
dead, and why we go to see them although were not actually with them, and it seems weird that some
people actually sit there a talk to the deceased like theyre listening, when theyre just taking to a
picture or coffin. I know they probably do it to feel better, and the idea may seem a little dark, but this
is a genuine question Ive had a for a long time.

The Rock You Speak To

Im only a rock.
And although I dont feel,
I dont understand,
 Why in front of me you kneel.

Im only a rock.
And I appreciate the flowers,
But dont want to see you cry,
As you stand there for hours.

Im only a rock.
I am not your father,
Dont call me by his name,
your friends or your brothers.

Im only a rock.
Why look at me with such pain?
My only belongings are flowers,
And an inscribed name.

Im only a rock.
So why do you tell each other to be brave
As you point at me with sorrow
And call me a grave?