Poetry+Portfolio

=My Poems=

Dear Poetry Porfolio, Hello! Here is a collection of poems about things which I experinced, past events, memories, or even thoughts. They tell alot about me and who I am. Many of them display my personality. Some of these poems tell of important days in my life- such as my youngest niece being born, or going to India. My favorite of all the poems are __Where I'm From__ and __Ode to Lucie__. I like these particular ones because they showcase me and my priorities really well. I really dislike __Recipe for Melissa__ and __How to Make Melissa__. This is probably because it is just a akwardly formatted poem. Also because I don't like to come up with adjectives describing myself; like in that poem. I hope you enjoy them, as much as I enjoyed writing them! Sincerly, Melissa Anson

Dedication:
I dedicate this poetry portfolio to my Great Grandmother LaVern. Though she has passed away now, I still think about her often. She had a big impact on my life, and that will never change. She taught me to appreciate and take value in the little things. Most of the enclsosed poems are from things inspired by, or having to do with her. Though I do not love poems, she did. She used to read them to me- and thus I dedicate this portfolio to her.

Poem #1

Poem #2
__ I Like __ I like to be in India. I smell the smell of the open market, I feel the thousand of people, Brushing by you.

I hear the gypsy kids begging, I see the wedding parade down the street, I feel the heavy humidity, I touch the cool water from the Arabian Sea.

I worry for the taxi driver, I teach the kdis a song, I see exotic beaches, I like to be in India. [my trip to India. August 2010]

Poem #3 __ Oceans of Blue __ Cool breeze flowing, Rough waves crash, You can see the dolphins head through the ocean water. Put on my new teal bathing suit, And grab my turquoise towel In my blueberry bag. As I head out- I notice the sky. It almost looks purple, On my way to the beach. I love when my eyes see The shimmering shore. [google images]

Poem #4 __ Winter Days __ Long winter days, Dark and gloomy, Feels like it lasts forever. Slippery shiny ice, Newly fallen snow, Crushing beneath your steps. Bitter cold wind, Whipping against your face. Wet cool snow, Melting down your back. Snow ball fights have begun on Long winter days.

Poem #5

__Invisible__
Being little and waking up- I still remember, Being invisible.

When he was getting dressed Taking my dad’s clothes out of his hands, Flustering mom and moving the pancake batter, Pulling my sisters hair to get her out of bed.

To whoever, I could do whatever I wanted, And it didn’t matter. I always thought it was the greatest, Because you couldn’t see me.

Poem #7 =The Bagel=

David Ignatow
I stopped to pick up the bagel rolling away in the wind, annoyed with myself for having dropped it as if it were a portent. Faster and faster it rolled, with me running after it bent low, gritting my teeth, and I found myself doubled over and rolling down the street head over heels, one complete somersault after another like a bagel and strangely happy with myself. [google images] I chose this poem as my favorite. I like it because it shows that there is a kid in all of us. Also because I like bagels.

Poem #8 =Our Other Sister=

**By Jeffrey Harrison**
The cruelest thing I did to my younger sister wasn't shooting a homemade blowdart into her knee, where it dangled for a breathless second before dropping off, but telling her we had another, older sister who'd gone away. What my motives were I can't recall: a whim, or was it some need of mine to toy with loss, to probe the ache of imaginary wounds? But that first sentence was like a strand of DNA that replicated itself in coiling lies when my sister began asking her desperate questions. I called our older sister Isabel and gave her hazel eyes and long blonde hair. I had her run away to California where she took drugs and made hippie jewelry. Before I knew it, she'd moved to Santa Fe and opened a shop. She sent a postcard every year or so, but she'd stopped calling. I can still see my younger sister staring at me, her eyes widening with desolation then filling with tears. I can still remember how thrilled and horrified I was that something I'd just made up had that kind of power, and I can still feel the blowdart of remorse stabbing me in the heart as I rushed to tell her none of it was true. But it was too late. Our other sister had already taken shape, and we could not call her back from her life far away or tell her how badly we missed her. [google images]

I chose this poem as my favorite of the poems we did not read. I like it because I have sister's of my own. I enjoy reading poems that apply to me, more than those that dont. Also because, though my sisters and I would never go that extreme, we do mean things to each other to get back at one another after we fight. In this poem, the one sister goes away because of what the other sister tells her; that sort of sounds like something my sister would do.

Reflection:
In eglish class the past few monthes, we have been working with poems & writing poetry. Through my poems- you are able to see new qualities and abilities emerging in our writing. For examplie- I make connection and show relationships "to the world" in my poem I Like. It is about when I went to India this past August. I connect my memories, and how I felt when I went there. I also make connections to the world by describing what it is like there, on the other side of the globe.

In my poem Ode To Lucie I describe my newborn niece. I relate her to the audience- people who have seen or been around a newborn- in a way they would understand and get. I also have learned to use literary terms in my writing. I use imagery, and describe and try to give a good picture to the reader of what I am talking about. I also use alot of metaphor's, to make it easier to understand & more clear. Another way I have improved my english and writing skills is that I have learned the process of writing. I have been pretty good at finishing drafts, proofreading, editing, and asking my teacher or classmates for feedback & advice. During this unit- I stepped out of my comfort zone. I wrote about things I normally wouldn't and let myself be seen in a different way.

About the Author:
My name is Melissa, and I am a sophomore at Guilderland High School. I grew up in Holley, New York and moved here to Albany when I was 11. I moved with my parents- because my sisters were out of the house by then. Kristen is 12 years older than me, and Sarah is 10 years older than me. Ever since I was young I have liked to write. I am not the type of person who could sit there and write a novel, but I don't mind essays & papers. Though I enjoy writing, I don't really care for writing poems. Probably because I am not a very good poet..