poetry and some really bad art

Usually I bug my parents to get rid of things because they tend to hold onto junk for way too long. But for once I'm happy that they didn't listen to me, and kept a box full of poetry, writing and school assignments from when I was in 5th through 8th grades. I rummaged through that box today, and found all kinds of funny stuff. Sometimes I have a tendency to be too honest and I can't lie... it seems that I've always been that way. And I certainly didn't hold back with telling my teachers embarrassing details of things my parents and sister did, even stuff that I did! It also appears that I had an infatuation with the beach, swimming, dogs and flowers and that I was very paranoid about pollution. I wrote that by 2010, Los Angeles, CA would have black skies and be unlivable - hmmm....maybe I was reading too many fatalistic books on pollution. But, in any case, I thought it'd be fun to start a section called from when I was a kid, and share some of these dusty-box-finds.

This first poem comes from a folder of poems I wrote in 8th grade. I got an A and here's what my teacher wrote: "Samantha - Your perception is unusually mature. Your artwork is juvenile. Together, this combines for an interesting collection. We need to work some more on correct punctuation and we will for the class anthology. I like your work, Samantha.
Neatly typed - every poem has a creative surprise! Keep this collection, Samantha - you may decide to major in writing!"

Yep, not much has changed. I still draw terribly, and I'm admittedly not so good at punctuation - but oh, how I try! Now if only I'd had this folder Sophomore year in college when I couldn't decide on a major!

MOOD POEM

The Amazing Friend

On this sunny afternoon I walked one day

Stopping to get a drink in a pond near the bay

I crouched down to quench my thirst

When I heard an outrageous burst

A shirt was hanging in the air

And there was nothing attached

Except some hair

I screamed in horror seeing this thing

What could it be? It started to sing

I stared in awe at this amazing shirt

And my ears really started to hurt

I ran one way but it blocked me

I ran the other and it stopped me

It said, "Hello, how are you?"

I couldn't talk, I couldn't move

I stood there feeling very scared

I didn't know how to act with

This thing with the hair

It said again, "Let's be friends."

And on and on my decision depends

I didn't know what to say

This doesn't happen every day

I have no friends I must confide

They just run off and try to hide

"Ok," I said. "I'll be your pal."

And off we walked down the canal