Conversational Poetry

School
Social Justice High School

Poet in Residence
Madison Mae Parker

Date

At Social Justice HS, we studied how to incorporate conversational language into poetry by analyzing Anis Mojgani’s “To Where the Trees Grow Tall.” How can conversations be a doorway into another world? How can we use conversations to juxtapose a setting inside of a poem, similar to how Mojgani does in his poem? I asked the students to think of a conversation they overheard on the bus, a text conversation from their phone, or one they were a part of with at least one other person as inspiration for the poem.

School
Social Justice High School

Poet in Residence
Madison Mae Parker

Date

Social Justice HS Poetry

I Thought You loved Me Belen O.

“I shouldn’t be treating you like this,” he said
“I should be Treating you better,” he said
“Then why can’t you…” I replied
Silence… I didn’t know how to feel or act
Anger rushed, sadness & overthinking
“because I don’t know,” he said
“because you don’t know…” I repeated
sitting in the couch not knowing what to feel or think.
“I shouldn’t always be telling you,” I replied
“If you love me, you wouldn’t keep hurting me & lying to me,” I replied
Crying in the room not knowing what to do next.
not knowing if I stay or leave runs through my mind. everyday.
Does he even love me…or ever did… why couldn’t I be enough!