Welcome to Cafe Ujima, the best place in town to hear exciting new poets! Today’s featured poets will leave you dazzled, provoked, and inspired. Enjoy the event, and don’t forget that hot beverages are half off. Just ask your server, Isaiah.
- Select your best poem, one that you feel comfortable sharing with your classmates. As you type your poem look for opportunities to continue improving your techniques, word choice, or structure.
2. Post your poem in the “comments” section of this post.
3. Respond (reply) to each other by commenting on language (word choice), techniques, structure, or style. Discuss what you like about your classmates’ poems, and try to explain what those choices made you feel, think, or consider. When possible, “refer to the text” as you comment.
4. Please respond to at least two of your classmates. Tricia, Jayana, and Lashae may comment on more than two poems. And reply to those people who comment on your poem!
The creation of us
I will love until the sun runs out
Mother nature what a great site to see
My love lasts if the sun or moon is about
Mother nature, amazingly lovely
Mother nature lets the wind and leaves dance
The earth tags along to dance with the rest
The trees celebrate by raising its hands
Animals begin to arrive as guest
Mother nature begins to make a craft
A single male coming from the words projected
A beautiful creation laid in the grass
The female beautiful and perfected
All of these events occurred in the past
But for eternity our love will last
The Tiger is as silent as the trees,
Footprints toward a peculiar destination,
It’s motion, swift with the breeze.
Her shadow is her only crew,
It’s large golden coat,
Illuminates above the gloom.
She never fears the depths
of nippy water, it glides through the river,
It’s gold the sun reflects.
Special and unique like its stripes,
And enticing beauty vigorous beauty,
Hidden knives beneath its paws and ready to bite
As her head rises, time it captures,
Roars at the racket behind, purrs at what’s ahead
With a swift of its tail, the wind it manipulates
It’s eyes glare, consumes one’s soul
Yet she vanishes into the wind
To complete its journey on its own
Solitude
The honey bee hums
Its noble song
Pulsing in rhythm
Sweet as the nectar
It feeds of
And honey
It creates
It is it’s meek
Fur stripes
And humble, crowded home
The honey bee glides honestly
Through sweet playful giggles –
Modesty
Being Different But The Same
In the winter as snow begins to appear
A sikh 39 year man named Rai worked in
His car driveway,
As a black shadow
A man covered with evil mask
Tells Rai in a hated way “Go back to your country”
As darkness came, the gunman shot Rai in his arm
Feeling the tear well up in Rai’s eyes
Getting shot hurts quality of life
Disbelief lack of ignorance
Was this a hate crime?
Sikhism teaches about equality and peace
Why did the gunman hurt his belief
Is it because others who look different aren’t equal?
Shri Guru Nanak Ji stated
“Before being a sikh, a muslim, a hindu or a christian, lets unite and become a human first”!
A new day starts with a sunrise
Rai is out of danger thanks to god
Hate crime shall never be followed with silence!
In Beijing, China
Smog is thick as a cloud around us.
We have to wear mask just to protect us from it.
There’s nothing in this world that brings such happiness and joys to our faces,
As that is a dear sweet child.
Love them unconditional
Baby girl or baby boy it doesn’t matter.
God made a sweet child and brought it to us in our world,
As one comSmoke effect
es into a family there’s no greater joy.
They’re the most precious thing that ever happened to you.
Until one day, you were killed by lung cancer.
Why air pollution?
Why you had to give my loving child terrible air?
You have killed our precious sweet loving child.
God decided it was time for them to come back to him.
We must have faith, trust, and love in God.
Thank him for who he was the one who brought our precious gift.
I hope to see your smile, laugh, and your face again in heaven.
U may be gone ,u may be missed, but always still in someone heart to be remembered.
Nothing is forgotten until the day we all die
This is honestly the sad truth,
We all get to live but we never know when
We’re going to die, so live life to the fullest
and appreciate every little things that happens in life
-Christopher Vang
Tou Her
March 6, 2017
Mr.Coey
Period 6th
The One I Love…
Girl, I can’t deny I’m feeling butterflies in me
Looking in your eyes hoping you’re someone I’ll believe
I want you to be the true one for me
I don’t want you be the one to ever leave
I’ve been hurt before and I’ve dealt with pain
It’s you who I get these crazy feelings for
My love is as strong as a rope of chain
I hope you don’t let me drop to the floor
Can we go back to when I made you smile
You were happy for what I’d done for you
I will stay here and be here for awhile
My happiness for you is always true
No one has made me feel this way before
You are one that I will always adore.
I like how you compared your love to a strong rope.
This is so cute Tou i like how you said ” My Happiness for is always true”
i love your poem! i can relate so much about it. we will always have that one special person that we will always adore forever. i like how you used simile in your poem. for example, ” My love is as strong as a rope of chain.” isn’t it ironic how we hurt the ones who loves us and they care the most about us. but yet we love the ones who hurt us and ignore us.
Damn Tou, you got me in ma feels i like how you showed how strong your love is by comparing it to a chain.
I believe you Sonnet is seer, and the rhymes that you included in your poem are remarkable. Sonnets are difficult to created, and you found a way how to make one about the girl you love, great job !
Red Rose
She was the rose
in hands of those
who had no intentions of loving her
She is a rose
who grew from nothing but dirt
and sunlight
becoming something beautiful
She is a rose
who grew hardly from anything
to becoming something
She is a rose
who kept her thorns sharp
so she won’t get hurt
She is the red rose
who stay strong through the storms
who is still full of love and hope
Jayana Graham
4/6/17
Period 6
4/6/17
Beyond Repair
The light shines too bright,
too hot,
there are tents,
trailers,
the heat suffocates,
suffocates all those who dare breath.
They took me,
They took me,
that’s all she could comprehend.
Her worst nightmare became true.
They took her,
They took her.
He was dragging,
Dragging her through the dust.
Like she was nothing,
No one.
Scrapes,
Cuts,
Bruises from being dragged.
She was so scared,
Scared of if They would do to her
What They did to the others.
She wasn’t strong enough,
She wasn’t strong enough
To be taken forcefully.
She would break,
She would break.
If she was a mirror,
She would soon be cracked.
Everyone knows mirrors could be fixed,
But sometimes humans were too broken.
A day had passed, one single agonizing day.
I was wrong,
she wasn’t cracked,
that could be fixed,
she could’ve been fixed.
But no, she was shattered.
They had already ruined her beyond repair.
There was so much blood,
So many men.
Too many.
She didn’t care about the blood,
If only she could drown in it.
She just wishes she couldn’t feel
Feel what they did to her.
Every single touch she could feel,
Every single word she could hear,
Every single time she wished she could die.
When she came home,
Her brother tried to sympathize with her.
She wanted to tell her story,
Her story of misery.
But she couldn’t because they could find her,
She had to block out her face.
It made sense because why would they remember one of the many they raped?
I like how you used you a lot of detail and imagery to describe how she felt after she was raped.
Love your poem. you could be the next Rupi Kaur, who wrote “milk and honey” what I love about your poem is your 9th stanza when you said “I was wrong, she wasn’t cracked, that could be fixed, she could’ve been fixed. But no, she was shattered.” I really love this part because it it shows her pain and her suffering. that lasted along time. Keep up the poetic style of yours and outstanding job on this poem:)
I love your poem it legit made me cry, you keep doing you girl cause you could be a certified writer hmmmmm.?
Jayana,
Your diction amazes me OoO For instance, the lines “The light shines too bright, too hot” not only helps me visualize what the light looks like, but how the light feels. Please keep up with the good work.
I like how you used a lot of imagery.
really nice poem, great message and genius word choice, good job 🙂
Looking Back
Let’s go back to the past just you and me
I promise you it won’t be very long
Do you remember when we went to sea
Do you remember you sang me a song
I wonder if you have ever thought back
Back when we both were still very happy
Everything we went through what did we lack
Because everything we do is crappy
You were always able to make me smile
Like a fool I am I fell for your charm
But what you did wasn’t even worth while
Because everyday you just gave me harm
Should we try to go back into our past
Is this really going to be the last
A Sonnet for Suga
Maybe I should allow your rude smile
Then I would be in utter peace with you
However, you must always stay idle
There are so many things we try to do
Give me your time or simply your own heart
Direct your attention to only me
For you already had me from the start
But it is never me that you can see
Let your voice be the last sound I recall
It’s something that I don’t want to forget
In love, with you, is where I want to fall
Hopefully, you leave me with no regrets
I dream of the day when we can embrace
This one-sided love remains a disgrace
Love your word choice! By the way, who is Suga?
An amazing person that I love 🙂
I actually relate to this poem because i have a huge crush on Drake and I really want to meet him!!!!
Yas gurl 🙂
I love how you said “This one-sided love remains a disgrace”
Thank you 🙂
nice flow and love how you ended it
He is basically my everything
As cheesy as it sounds I mean it to
I treat him as if he was like my king
He also treats me like I’m his queen too
He makes me feel as if I am the one
Which I really do appreciate it
Everything we went through was a long run
But we both knew that we would also fit
He spoils me which I wish he didn’t
But I still appreciate it with all my heart
There will be times when he can’t get a hint
That to me he is like a piece of art
He can be really trouble sometimes
But I will make sure he get through this time
I like how you compared him to a piece of art, because the way I see it is that he is a mess of work being shown on display, but he’s your dispay of work.
The way you make me feel is so above
Like a caterpillar who is growing
Slowly entering your cocoon of love
Growing together without you knowing
You speak to me like I’m your number one
And look at me with that same big old smile
Last thing I want to do right then is run
I want to make that moment last a while
Now evolving into a butterfly
Your words inspire me to keep on going
I’m fully grown and flying so darn high
But you and me will just keep on flowing
You are the one that I love to adore
I just want to see you some more and more
i love your poem bestf keep it going and get it 😉
Isaiah, I admire your passion in this poem. I like how you compare yourself to a caterpillar breaking out of your shell and becoming who you truly are with someone you love.
The tree, fighting against the wind
Its branches flying like a bird
The dewy raindrops sliding off its elongated wings
as if it looks like it is weeping
It sits near the edge of the river, hovering over the water
It may look dull outside
But inside,
The sun rays are reflecting off of its moist leaves –
Enhancing its beauty
I love the imagery, “The dewy raindrops sliding off its elongated wings”. It really helps me imagine the picture you are trying to get us to see.
I love the fact that you used a simile in the first two lines by comparing the tree branches to birds! ?
I love how you use vivid imagery. “The Sun rays are reflecting off of its moist leaves”(8).
I love the meaning behind your poem. Using the willow tree as a symbol and comparing it to you is beyond magnificent.
Always
Always determined
Always bring home the bacon
Always there for us
What joy to have a person
Who will always have my back.
I love the motif Always
Always asking if I had a great day.
You mean the most to my heart and my mind.
Don’t want to see you move or go away.
Spending each day like there is no more time.
You are there real quick when I need your help.
No one will tell me that you’re not the best.
A joyful feeling that I’ve never felt.
You are my mom and I am truly blessed.
You do all you can to prove you are brave.
Tracking my steps on what I make or do.
You are my hero and not all wear capes.
You are my mom, just know that I love you!
I give you a hug and always squeeze tight.
I love you mom, and my love will not hide.
I appreciate how you compared her with a hero. I am literally in tears.
I love your message for your mom in your poem. I love the way you express your love for her tambien.
Xao Thao
Our Friendship
Our friendship will last for eternity
Sharing your secrets that cannot be told.
You and I will never be enemies.
Growing until our life has become old.
You are always there for me when I’m down.
We go through thick and thin to support us.
You always cheer me up, I never frown.
When we see each other, we both go nuts.
Our friendship is like a growing flower.
Our similar minds let us achieve, life.
Our friendship is growing every hour.
Our friendship is not dull like a fish knife.
Our physical bodies can be apart
Maybe in distance, but never at heart.
Dedicated to Pha and Alexis
Love your poem Xao. In the last sentence, I heard that quote before.
Xao, I like how you use, “Maybe in distance, but never at heart.” I could feel the strong bond that you guys together.
love your poem bro!!! friendship is the one of the best thing to have in your life. having best friends is like having another family. they’re important to you and you trust them the most even with your darkest secret. they give you the best advices you could ever need. i like how you you said, “Our friendship is like a growing flower.”
Shall I just look up and watch you suffer?
Your tears drop like needle itches my heart.
You show me your jokes smile but prefer
To cry alone with your heart shot by dart.
You are blind by the beauty of liar.
The shadow drag your soul to the moonlight.
A road without an ending inspire
Me to pull your soul back to the sunlight.
You’re the flowers of my eye who bring life.
My only love and forever my truth
Yet our bond can be broken by a knife.
I’ll search you everywhere like a sleuth.
As long as I can hear your cheerful sound
I’ll always remember your heart pound.
This made me really emotional. I am LITERALLY in tears.
Pang,
I find your poem very compelling. I especially appreciate your dark, romantic imagery. There seems to be a Gothic mood throughout your poem, especially in the line “the shadow drag your soul to the moonlight.”
Coey
I love how you use the line “Your tears drop like needle itches my heart” and “You show me your jokes smile but prefer to cry alone with your heart shot by dart” its like bringing out the darkness that a person doesnt show and the lonliness they feel.
Just a hug from you,
That is all really needed,
To complete my day.
To put strength in my body
And make the pain go away.
love your poem, short and simple but with a sweet message, nice job
Who I Am and Where Im From
By
Rayiauna Liles
I am from gunshots
From the people in whom we trusted
I am from the tears
My mom would cry every day
I am from the roads
We had to take in order to get home safely
I’m from the city of trees,
The smell of gas and smoke fill the air
From smelling my nana’s potato and sausage stew
To the smell of freshly cut grass
I am from horror movies
That i laughed at since i was one
I am from blades
That marked my skin due to depression
From many trips to the hospital
To my father whom i havent seen in years be by my side
I am from the red and blue lights
That once took my mom away from me
I am from soil
That was placed on my grandpa’s coffin
I am from small barks
When i got my first puppy
I am from confetti
That was tossed at me at the fair
I find it unusual how you wrote “I am from confetti that was tossed at me at the fair.” the reason is that you are the “confetti”, but it was thrown at yourself. Does it me self-realization ?
Rayiauna, I like how you use your family to describe where you are from. Of how you live and how was your life like. I especially like how you use ” I am from gunshots.”
Silent Night
Stars glitter the sky like shattered glass
Shining so dimly like bar lights
A soft breeze flow through the frozen still night
Drinks clink together
Erupted echoes of laughter
Contagious smiles spread
Even so a cold chill fills the room
Dread
Soaked with desires but unaware of dangers
Headed home drunk and tired
Unaware what his Price will be
Awaiting at home his Knight rejected
Slipping into a peaceful slumber
Lurking danger
Eyes snap open
Widen with fear
Blood soaked bed sheets
Last sight of his once so loving, turned stone cold killer, Knight
The birds hum a lively tone
The Australian morning raises
Today’s morning news cover a horrific tale
Skinned and hung like a cow ready to be butchered
Once a loved man,John Price
Once a freed woman,Katherine Knight
For what reason?
Instead of laughter it will be
A silent night
No more sweet dreams for the children
For their father skinned and used as any other meat to consume
No more calm state of mind for the community and officers called that day
Loud,joyous nights
Are no more
Now is a silent time, a silent night
I found it interesting how you added the last names of your characters such as “Price” & “Knight” into your second stanza, as if they were the regular word terms than their actual name.
I appreciate how you stated “no more sweet dreams for the children”, showing how the children lost their parent.
I like how you use a lot of imagery “blood soaked bed sheets” That was very vivid
What joy you bring me
Delightful winter or spring
Morning or evenings
Boosting me out of languor
Meeting my satisfaction
I like how you used “Winter or spring” and “Morning or evenings”, it shows that no matter what this is giving you satisfaction.
Where I’m From
I was from outdoors
And beyond
I was from earthy
Textures to mud castles
I was from pigeons
And chickens
I was from fishing lines
And Rancho Seco
Blue gills
I was from pigeon
Calls every now and
Then
I was from paws
And a mans bestfriend
I was from influences
Of outdoor and backyard
Life
I am from lyrics
To a song
I am from beats of music
I am from strings
Latched for and to
A guitar
I am from a netted sport
I am from a hand sewn passion
Attire
I am from friends
Of joy and laughter
I will be from voices screaming my name
I will be from verses
That express truth
Of life
I will be from a written song
That is kept sacred to
heart
Cheerio, what i love about your poem is the second stanza, because it really describes you as a musician. Keep up the great poetic and musical style of yours:)
I like how you included “I am from lyrics to a song”, it expresses how much you like music.
I like how you use a lot personal experiences. I also like the motif “I am”
Words may never explain my love for you
But what else am I just suppose to do?
I just hope that you’ll take a simple clue
In hopes that I don’t make myself a fool
Your heart is one of the rarest to find
In hopes you’ll just agree to be mine
Maybe it’s just the way that you’re so kind
That makes me daydream of you all the time
When I was drowning being shot by darts
You had took my hand and pulled me ashore
A look in your eyes you restored my heart
And at that moment I knew I was sure
I had been the most luckiest ever
To have someone by my side forever
I loved how you used end rhyme. You are such an inspiration. For a 15 year old your work is really mature.
descee, i love your motif “in hopes of,” it added a really good flow. Your sonnet was well-structured. You had a good play on words, the rhymes were beautiful <3 I love your image, "When I was drowning being shot by darts"
I could feel the caring emotion you were putting into this sonnet. “Your heart is one of the rarest to find”, and “Maybe it’s just the way that you’re so kind” represent that.
The flies with fire
Brighten my life once again
When I stop shining
Believing in the beauty
That once again fades away
I’m from a soft green blanket
Following me wherever I go
I’m from fluffy, soft animals
Roaming around in my house
I’m from cuts and bruises
As clumsiness shove me
Towards danger
From shiny fish
Swimming around it’s home
I’m from a white cat with a red bow
Decorating my room
Filling it with bright colors
I’m from thick eyeglasses
From a pencil and eraser
Glued to my hands
Dancing across paper
From multiple stories
Unfolding before me
Through a computer screen
Here before me
Is a screen
Containing lost memories
From a past youth
From a not so long present
I’m from those memories
Which I can never
Relive again
I love the fact that you involved soft fluffy animals yet including cuts and bruises when you get hurt. I also like how you included your visual apperence and your love for art. I love your entire poem in general 😀 🙂
I like the imagery that you include in your poem “Here before me is a screen…relive again”. This stanza express a gloomy emotion towards your past.
I like your use of the line “I’m from those memories, Which i can never relieve again” it seems as if with each constant change and relieving memories, only to be remind that you can’t go back in time and relive them in flesh and blood.
I am from childhood memories,
from hot summers and ice tickles
I am from a single mother
from falling and loud cries,
from cats and dogs and butterflies.
Now I am from love and happiness
I am from Drake and Chris Brown,
from a shared bedroom
now I am from higher education
I am from hopeful dreams
I will be from a married couple
a highschool sweetheart
I will be from a San Diego College
I will own a small cupcake
shop in San Diego
I will be from all my hard work and dedication.
I like that your poem talks about the plans you have for yourself in the future. Also that you brought up Drake and Chris Brown.
Image-Symbol Poem
The dragon quietly rests,
Sleeping after
The sun sets
The dragon who wakes
Furious like a person who had no sleep,
The creature who seems
Curious like the cat who still seeks,
It is a dog on the floor,
Living in isolation
No need to soar,
Having no temptation
The dragon exists but no one believes,
He’s in front of them yet,
No one sees —
Significance
I like your comparisons with the dog and the dragon 🙂 good work
Out of all your line the one that stuck out the most would be your line of “He’s in fron of them yet, no one sees-“
He Was My Role Model
April 4,2006
Chicago’s South Side
Today was a day
That I would never
Forget
Studying math in the front room
Mom answering a phone call
All I hear is silence
As if everything had paused
She starts screaming
“Terrell’s been shot!”
With tears smearing
Her makeup
Her eyes red and puffy
Her body becoming weak
Grabbing onto me,
We rushed by his side
Now waiting in the cold
Hospital waiting room
Not knowing if he’s going
To make it
Makes me feel sick and alone
Never thought that at
The age of 8,
I will never get to see
My brother for the years
To come.
Imagining
I don’t know what is happening right now right here today.
But I know the pain will never go away.
What hurts me so much is that many people died.
But to me I thought everything was a lie, but it wasn’t.
On September 11, 2001 something went wrong.
The Twin Towers was struck with planes and everyone in the building was gone.
No one survived blamed the people who went to hide.
Other people blame my people why we were the reason behind this.
I tell people who make fun of me, it should’ve been you on the list.
But the people who died in the tragedy you will be missed.
If your family sees you right now a hug and a kiss.
What hurts even more is that the people who did this, they should pay.
There are tears coming down my face all day.
Thinking how can I be a better person.
Thinking what can I do.
But this whole thing isn’t between me and you.
I am happy to be born on 2001.
Because God made me who I am till the day I am gone.
I was trying to erase my skin with a white eraser.
Thinking it will turn me from brown to white.
Why do I have this skin in the first place, when I can’t erase it from my body.
Is it like a permanent marker making me darker and darker.
As the time flies by.
Am I the only person that will sacrifice, my life.
Do I really want to change the artwork that was printed on me.
Or should I just accepted who I’ll be.
I’m old enough to comprehend what is going around the world.
I am not a juvenile who was frighten hiding behind another person’s back.
Knowing there’s more but this tragedy happened in the past.
My heart beats on a constant beat.
Now I get constantly beat up.
Breaking my bones.
Making me bleed dark red blood.
Me being the victim.
And it’s not that kind, loving hug.
Man all the discrimination in the world is affecting our society on how we see, and treat people.
When a shooter came into a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin.
Killing six people including the temple president, the priest, a mother and a father.
Remembering the pain of the bullets that took the six life On August 5. 2012.
Now I get discriminated on how I look, on how I dress, and even the most important of all.
My skin color.
But I can’t forget I get discriminated on my religion too.
Being a Sikh.
S-I-K-H.
Not.
Sick.
S-I-C-K.
Those 2 words are not the same meaning.
Being a Sikh, being a Punjabi.
Man that was the best thing that happened to my life.
And i don’t want to change it.
From the day I was born and the day till I die.
I will be a true punjabi holding my head up loud and proud.
Of not being afraid of who I am.
Not being treated as a nobody.
But my mom gets scared when I come home bloody.
Saying what happened to you son.
But I was the one afraid to answer to the question.
But I can’t never look her in the eye.
Telling her what’s happening in my life.
I’m the one who fights for his right.
The next day there’s another beat down.
This time it wasn’t me getting beat.
I was the one who was beating people up.
People who mess with me won’t survive.
Instead of this victim getting beat.
I beat up my enemy.
Now they have the bloody body.
But now I won and I want to change.
But I can’t change my religion, on being a true punjabi.
-Jesneel Singh
Like how your poem is very emotional and rich with imagery in it.