Strength in Writing

For our second week at Social Justice High School’s poetry club, we read and listened to Elizabeth Acevedo’s “Rat Ode.” Discussing what an ode is, we learned how to build imagery. In the version of the poem we watched online, Acevedo tells about why she wrote this poem as a response to a professor who said “rats were not noble enough of a creature to write about.” Inspired by her poem, we used word bubbles or word maps to trace out our own animal description and write a response poem to the things we have been told we are not capable of doing, but know ourselves strong enough to accomplish.

Mr. Robles-Plascencia 9th-12th Grade

Lesly C.

everyone and everything is unique
even in the smallest ways
We all live different lives but could have similar morals
who said there a rule book to live

think of butterflies and their wings
they’re all so beautiful and one of a kind
they get to use those special wings to go anywhere
but did they always have them, no

Valentina C.

They told me you were dangerous
That you were a wild uncontrollable beast
That I would get myself killed trusting you
They told me I couldn’t afford the million dollar
bloodline or the luxurious shiny materials I
would need so why even try.

Worked my ass off every day to be who
and where I needed to.
but in the back I heard the laughter
I felt the glaring eyes.
And for what.
for the clowns would never understand
what it feels like to ride your fastest
time on a horse you built up yourself
they don’t know what it feels like to
come in first after coming in last for who knows how long.

I wasn’t handed a trained horse
I was given the talent and passion
I was given the heart and determination
but what you gave me was the ability
to see through your tough skin
your menacing eyes and your intimidating size
and to see the soft, the good and the
beautiful majestic animal you are

that’s something you can’t buy.

Maylasia B.

I own my mistakes yet my mistakes don’t
make me. After being broken down the sun is my
reminder to rise and shine. I can take rejection
and at some extent it may hold me back but
I won’t let it. I will be bright and strong to
conquer my rejections of no this or that.