Poetry is one of my favorite genres to explore with my students because the rules of grammar are tweaked for the purpose of the message, and imagery shines through the language. For example, the use of lower case “i” puts our focus on her passion rather than her. Alex’s use of the simile, “i’m like a tree”… provides a concrete image to abstract ideas. Beautiful!

My Passion

i SING like no one’s watching
i FEEL the music through my voice
it’s SOMETHING MORE than just notes being hit
it’s a NEW WORLD being created:

when i SING
i let out ANGER and STRESS
i bring in HAPPINESS and JOY.

i’m like a TREE
having LIFE in my hands
and ROOTS beneath my feet.

a SONG for every emotion
like CLEARING my mind
a DISTRACTION even…

but i’m doing something i LOVE
and OWNING it.

Alexandria Renee Crawford

Alex is an eighth grader at Sunnyvale Middle School. She is a gifted young actress and musician. I appreciate the creativity she brings to our Honors ELA class. – Ms. Angela Henderson