Found Poetry

As a “teacher” I am always trying to find new and creative ways to encourage students to write. At my job one of the activities I teach is Creative Writing. This past week, I took a suggestion from one of my colleagues, and tried found poetry with them.

Found Poetry is a type of poetry created by taking words, phrases, and sometimes whole passages from other sources and reframing them as poetry by making changes in spacing and lines, or by adding or deleting text, thus imparting new meaning.

I did a listening version of this with them, as I read aloud-Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” students were asked make a list of all the words they heard that jumped out to them. From that list, students then wrote their own “found poems,” and we shared them. 

After seeing how well it worked, I decided to give it a try myself. It was interesting to see how some students kept in the same darker theme of the story, while others went a whole different almost uplifting route. It’s amazing where the mind can go, and how simple things can spark creativity.

Here is a link to Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart

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My list of words I gathered included; Heart, ill, control, mad, powerful, heaven, hell, sounds, Listen!, reason, loved, hurt, money, vulture, terrible, dies, animal, cold, blood, warm, friendly, evil, clock, careful, door, success, afraid, dreaming, blue, ice, strong, louder, painful, silence, dark, anger, fear, beating, stone, trouble, quiet, hear, stop, suffering, playing, game, smiles. [47 words chosen]

My Found Poem: [32 words used]

Clocks ticking everywhere

You can hear

We give time so much power

It’s a mad little game we play

that steals away our smiles

Listen!

to the sounds of dreaming

Listen!

to your heart-beating

Reason deep within and strong

Terrible fear takes away control

Quiet trouble no one knows

Silence

Anger

Fear of failure

Dreamful heaven turning ice blue

Has hell frozen over

Money Money 

Ill like a vulture

Closed door

Careful not to forget

Open windows instead

Stone heart

thaw away

Smile your way to success

 

-<3-

*I do not take credit for the concept of found poetry, nor Mr. Poe’s literary work I used as inspiration, nor the image used.*

 

Future

The Future.

What marks them?

At what point in our lives does the future stop being a factor?

It’s ever changing.

Tomorrow is the future.

Until it becomes today.

Until it becomes yesterday.

But there’s always a new future put in place.

Constantly daunting.

Hovering.

Unknown.

What do you do when you worry?

When you fear?

When you don’t know what comes next?

Missing something.

You don’t have “it.”

Self doubt overcasts the sky above you.

Your sky clouded.

Raining insecurities.

Thundering negativity.

What would you tell your best friend?

Go for it.

Believe in yourself.

You got this.

What would you tell a child who doubts their abilities?

Keep trying.

You can do this.

You can do anything you set your mind to.

You can be anything you want to be.

Be yourself.

Tell yourself the same.

Take your own advice.

Don’t tear yourself down.

Don’t beat yourself up.

We’re often our biggest critics.

Be your own cheerleader.

Your future is what you choose for it to be.

You will fail.

Get back up.

Regroup.

Start again.

Your dreams are worth it.

You just need to start somewhere.

You may not know where that is right now.

I don’t either.

But you will.

Be your own future.

Inspire yourself.

Wake up.

Good Morning, Love.

Welcome to the Real World.

It can suck, but it can also be something really beautiful.

 

-<3-

 

 

More than my anxiety…

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My anxiety

the overwhelming fear that something, somehow can go horribly wrong

I will not have someone to turn to

to help me

No one will understand

They will think I am crazy or strange

Heat prickling feeling

Heart palpitations

Heavy chest

Hands shaking

Fidgeting

Light headedness

Shortness of breath

Out of body

I’m not here

Mind, and body in a state of Fight or Flight

Which will win today?

Missed opportunities

Try to plan ahead

Avoidance

No Rhyme or Reason

Logic lost

Please forgive my quiet tongue

Please forgive my unfocused gaze

I’m just trying not to fall apart in front of you

Trying to hush this struggle I deal with in my life

You may not always see it

You may not notice it

That doesn’t mean it’s not there

It’s real

Small places

Hot places

Crowded places

Underground

Harsh smells

Triggers

I can’t breathe

I need to leave

Wait, I must stay

I can do this

Breathe in

Breathe out

Breathe

Fight

1…2…3…

Count

Breathe

And then suddenly… it passes

And my world is normal again

I am more

More than my anxiety

More than my fear

I have a name

An identity that goes beyond this one word

I have dreams

I have goals

I have friends and family

I am a creative soul

I love the color blue

And chocolate chip cookies

I am more

And so are you…

*****

SIDENOTE:

For anyone who has anxiety and has had it overwhelm them to the point where they feel like it has stopped you from living your life, I can relate. I know what it’s like to try and find the source of your anxiety. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t and anxiety goes unexplained. Keep going! You got this. You can conquer it! One day at a time. One step at a time. One foot in front of the other. Breathe. Always Breathe. You may feel like you can’t, but you can and you will. You control your mind. Let me know in the comments below, how you deal with anxiety and the ways you cope and overcome.

 

*I do not take credit for any photos used in my edits or otherwise.*

-<3-

 

 

 

 

Alien Love

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I want your

Cosmic

Stares & Glares

Gazing at the sky

Crystal comets in your eyes

Unexplainable Connection

Our stars align

Some unlikely creature

Aliens aglow

Do they exist?

Maybe I shouldn’t question

Hearts beat faster

Hands slightly shaken

Adrenaline, hello my friend

You can be my kryptonite

Green Glow

Explosion of color

Pinks, Blues, Purples

Planets rotate on their sides

Pulsating to the beat

Dance

How they dance

Treason of the mind- held captive by overthinking

Fighting to find some clarity in confusion

Galactic love

Orbiting in space

I want your lack of gravity

Venus meet Mars

-<3-

Cosmic-Heart[1]

I may or may not have been inspired by Supergirl

it’s my newest Netflix binge. 😉

*I do not take credit for the images used.*

 

 

Cloaked in the Night

 

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A Dark night sky sets in.

A moon high above, so round and bright, wolves would howl at it.

Her healed black booties clicking and clacking against the concrete floor.

The cool fall breeze rustles around her as leaves lift from the floor.

Cloaked figures cast on grassy front porches.

Halloween season is upon the neighborhood.

Witches, spiders, goblins and ghosts.

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble.

One figure catches her eye and causes her to double back.

A Skeleton off to the side, his glare steady, cold.

She looks intently on at it, she shudders.

“Creepy,” she huffs to herself, picking up her pace.

She glances around her surroundings, no one in sight.

A deep knot forming in the pit of her stomach.

Was this midnight ice cream run, really that important? She thinks.

Mentally kicking herself, she starts to psych herself out, as every single sound is enhanced.

Leaves.

Wind.

Her own shoes scuffling.

She turns to look behind her…nothing.

She quickens her steps, her destination a mere few blocks away.

Her heart pounding, she feels a brush of air touch her neck.

The overhead street lamp flickers.

She stills.

Slowly turning around, the cloaked skeleton figure that stood just in front of the nearby house- gone.

Her breathing is filled with an intense anxiety and weight.

Turning to look around, her scream rings through the night as the darkness closes around her.

 

*I do not take credit for the images used in my edit.*

-<3-

 

 

 

A Rant & A Poem- Something About Stress

I’m going to vent, because well- I need to. I’ve recently been really stressed out and I saw a décor sign while I was shopping that just fit my situation perfectly.

“You can do anything, but not everything.”

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Holy freaking shit. Excuse the language. But how true is that?

I really wish sometimes that I wasn’t such an anxious, neurotic person. I wish I could just be Zen and chill, and go with the flow. I wish I didn’t have to plan and over think. I wish I didn’t have to constantly feel like a fixer. Oh this looks wrong, let me fix it.

Note to self: Hey Michelle, this actually doesn’t concern you- butt out!

But I am who I am. I do believe people can change, but only so much. Certain lessons and learned habits are just ingrained in our brains. And others are tattooed along the way. I’ve been trying to realize that the fact that I care so much, doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I’m an empathetic person and being able to see things from both sides, is a great quality. It’s a human quality. But sometimes having to always see things from other people’s perspectives can really be exhausting. Because quite frankly, I don’t always feel like people give me the same courtesy. But then my soul kicks me in the ass, and I think about what God would do and what he would say. I have a feeling it would go a little like the “Oh so just because they do this, you think its ok for you to do this?” And the truth is no, it’s not ok. But sometimes you just do it anyway. Because you need to. Because your fed up, because you’ve had enough. Because the others shouldn’t be able to get away with it- All. The. Time. Sometimes the tit for tat feeling, feels good. A lot of the times it feels good for a second and then it feels really shitty. I hate it. I like to be liked. I like to make people happy. I hate confrontation. I hate awkward situations and tension. I try to avoid it because it will just add to my anxiety and cause people to see me in a negative light. A light I try so hard to stay far away from. Because let’s be honest, we all care what people think. Some of us more than others. #Guilty. Tit for tat is not my style. I know who I am, and even though sometimes I lose that every now and then, I always find my way back home. The way to my true heart.

Now that I’ve vented and ranted, here’s a poem. 😉   

 

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I’ve been walking into my church at random times lately, and the stillness and silence is beautiful and calming. It’s a great way to just find your focus and recharge and remember where you came from.

 

Like a tea kettle just before it begins to whistle.

Like nails on a chalk board.

Like a child’s face before they throw themselves into a tantrum.

Like a doormat who has had countless pairs of shoes wiped across it.

Like quicksand.

Like ocean waves- 10 feet high.

Like the tears we cry when we lose our minds.

Like the worst body tension you could ever imagine.

Like a gas bubble that traps itself in your chest.

Like the anxiety you feel in a crowded elevator.

Like the eggshells that break even with the slightest breath.

The want to be everything to everyone.

It’s a failure before it even starts.

Because how much can you give of yourself?

Who is that selfless? Can we be that selfless?

Who is that void of anxiety?

How do we leave sanity for ourselves?

Can I scream into the wind?

Or cry into a pillow?

Can I lift this weight?

Can I cast it up into the air and watch it turn into fairy dust and glitter?

Gold flecks. Everywhere.

Butterflies dancing in my hair.

Can I center my soul?

Breathe deep.

Walk through the broad, merciful, gold doors.

Sit silently still.

Find him, find where he lives in you.

He’s got you. He knows you. He’s with you.

Know your heart.

Know your person.

Act on it.

You got it kid.

Amen.

-<3-

 

“Ughhhhh” – A Monologue

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Do you ever just feel like screaming the words “Fuck you” at the stop of your lungs? No filter. No editing. Bare. Vulnerable. Loud. This life is so unnecessarily stressful, we are pulled every which way. Anxiety a burden. Minds racing to far past our feet. The high road is easier spoken then taken. When hearts become doormats for jealous shoes. When you are asked to simply just deal. And understand. The bigger people get shit on, always. And somehow the world has let that be ok. No… you’re stressing me out. Avoid the stress. When we learn to be adults then maybe this is something we can talk about. Silly things, childish fears. I’d rather not shed you the tears. I am who I am .I do what I do. I have the biggest heart, and it will always shine through. Try to shade me and it won’t work. Your façade is crumbling I see it in the dirt. I walk past and leave a trail of glitter. Because I have no time to spend on the hurt. The pain the sadness the taunting  you’ve created. This experience is now jaded. And now faded I feel. So I will walk away and hope that your heart heals. At the end of the day we can only be responsible for our own actions and whether or not we are adult enough to own them. 

*I do not take credit for the image used.*

-<3-

Dear Future Husband,

When you get to be in your 20’s….it’s easy to feel like time is running out. Here is a letter to my Future Husband, whoever you may be. I have a feeling we’ll be really happy.

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Dear Future Husband,

I’ve waited forever to meet you.

To see your face so clearly.

To know your heart and your understanding.

To be held in your strong arms.

These words I’ve wanted to say.

I can’t quite explain.

I’ve waited my whole life,

to run to you with my worries and insecurities.

To feel comfortable enough to do just that.

To see you in a suit.

And smell the scent of your after shave and cologne too.

I know it sounds silly, but I dream about you without knowing you.

To stare into your eyes and know true safety.

To tell your mother I think she raised an amazing man.

To bake treats for your family gatherings.

To sit on my couch watching a movie as I lay with my legs draped over yours.

To add you as my plus one.

To have you stand beside me during Sunday mass, in the most beautiful church you’ll ever see.

To let you meet my god daughter and hope you’ll be good friends.

To put you in a room with my crazy, huge family and tell you it’s all going to be ok.

To kiss you at midnight.

To be your Valentine.

To fight with you when I think I’m right.

To have you get down on one knee in front of me as I weep joyfully.

Yes.

I can’t wait to love you all the days of my life.

Love,

Your Future Wife.

P.S. I hope you’re thinking about me.

Because I think it’s about time that we finally meet.

-<3-

*I do not take credit for the image used.*

 

 

 

 

Money Honey.

Flaming Money In Hand

Money money.

Money honey.

Green and green.

The color of envy.

Is there an in between?

This thing that drives you?

Paper and thin, lighter than a feather.

This rotten conception.

This thing that instills greed, a race to cross the line and come in first.

Causing us to play the blame game.

In a sea of immaturity and gossip queens.

Whispers a hush.

What do you mean?

Who do we trust?

Well heard.

I see who you are.

Naïveté not so fast.

I might be smiling,

But don’t mistake kindness for weakness.

Art.

Love.

Soul.

Spirit.

Embrace the colors beyond the green.

Shut down the negativity, and thoughts of inadequacy.

I’m not like you.

I’ve always waited for my own drum to play it’s song.

Sorry I can’t be sorry anymore.

Hand the blame back tenfold.

I own mine.

Own your own.

Mistakes are part of growing.

Money money.

Green and green.

Sure it buys.

But can it buy your heart- can it set you free?

Money honey.

Those with green in their eyes accompanied by dollar signs.

Feed off the greed machine, and I’ll wave goodbye from the sidelines.

 

-<3-

*Shout out to the Tori Kelly lyric that drove my poem idea home. 😉 *

*I do not take credit for the image used.*