Poetry?

By Kaitlyn

I'm taking a creative writing class this semester, and the first half of the semester we are writing poetry. Now, I love to write, but I am not a poet - I've only written a few poems in my life, so this class is stretching me in my creative thinking. The wonderful thing about it is the freedom we have to write poems about anything we want. Anyway, tomorrow I have to share a poem with the class so that they can "workshop" it - basically critique my poem, tell me what they like, what they don't like, and how I can improve it. I'm pretty nervous about this, since the whole class will have a copy of my poem and I have to read it out loud. So, I thought I'd try to get over my nerves by posting my poem on here first:)

Haiti’s Child

Little fingers wrap around
the orange gate as brown eyes
light up, as excited shrieks escape
little mouths.

I hesitate. If I enter their world
I will never come back.

Haiti’s child is the
song my heart is waking up
to sing –
to belt out loud and strong
with no inhibition.

I cannot hide this song,
so I open
the gate to twenty pairs of arms
reaching up to me,
just me,
and they’re not even a fraction.

Haiti’s child is hungry,
thirsty, sick, poor, illiterate,
orphaned.
I am wealthy, educated,
well-fed, comfortable,
loved.

I know, I have seen,
I am burdened.
Haiti’s child is a passion
burning fiercely inside
at a frightening rate,
threatening to overtake me.