Acronym Poem

My sophomore year I took a creative writing class with one of my favorite teachers in my school. The full year of the creative writing class consisted of three terms: one for fiction writing, one for play writing, and one for poetry writing. I took the full year of creative writing, though a lot of people just take one term of it. One of the first things we did in his class was write an acronym poem. He gave us strict directions to follow. It had to spell out our first name (or our full name if we were ambitious) and it had to include a few things. If I remember right, he wanted us to include a kind of fruit in our poem, an ocean, and a color...something like that. When I showed my poem to the class, he told me I should submit it to my schools literary magazine (but I never did). He liked the poem quite a bit.

I haven't tried writing much poetry since I took that class. I write song lyrics all of the time, but I never just sit and write just plain old poetry. Although, I'm not going to post the acronym poem I wrote for his class. I'll post the latest one that I've been working on.

I think acronym poems are a lot of fun. I usually like poems that don't rhyme, but sometime free verse stuff is a little too crazy for me. Acronym poems still have some order but don't have to rhyme. They're a lot of fun and pretty easy for anyone who wants to experiment with writing poetry.

My name is a unique statement of who I am, a stamp of my originality. A declaration of my love for being the only person I can be, me.

You might hear it without a second thought. Pass by it without a second glance. Maybe you don't hold the same reverence for your name as I do mine. Maybe you wonder how letters can represent a person. Just letters out of something as organized as the alphabet. You try to form the letters, the vowel, the sound with your lips. You try to grasp it, but they are still just letters to you. Just the same familiar combination of letters that have represented you your whole life. The same combination of letters that you're father yelled when he was angry with you, or your mother called in search of you, to tell you to come inside when you playing outside as a child and it started to rain. That's all your name is to you.

Nothing could make me feel worse for you, then your lack of identity. I hope you find it someday, some where in those letters and if not, create a new name. Create an identity for yourself. Pick the letters so carefully out of that wide alphabet splayed before you and create something that you will find can only define you.

Doing this, I hope will help you establish yourself, as I have established myself. I hope it will help you find pride in your identity. I hope when your name is called out in class or in the middle of a grocery store by an old friend, you will smile and you will be proud that your name belongs to you.

I can only hope that this will bring you the same personal fulfillment it has brought me and that will find a sense of belonging to just letter out of the alphabet. You'll find a love for something that you once found so trivial, you will find your mark, your stamp.



Single

I always pictured going to the prom with a date. Stopping to take pictures for my grandmother before we left for a romantic dinner, just the two of us. Then making our entrance together, dancing to a few slow songs and having a good time at the post prom party. I've been looking forward to prom since I was a freshman.

Alas, though no date. Sure I have a boyfriend right now, but we just started dating and it's a little late to sign him up for prom (besides he's a little bit older than me and I don't think he'd be interested in a high school dance). I'm going to be going to prom single. I've decided to go out to eat before with a group of friends. Sure, it's not the prom I pictured but I'm sure it will be a good time.

I bought a tie that matched the color in my dress. It's been sitting on my floor for weeks. I should mention that I did have a date to the prom. But I can almost guarentee you I wouldn't have had a good time with him. I found that one of the only reasons I was prolonging our dreadful relationship was to have a man on my arm when I walked onto the dance floor. That's an awful reason to stay in a relationship.

When I broke up with him, he begged for just one more chance. He said that he'd actually take me out on a real date for once and be a gentleman if I'd give him that last chance to be my date to the prom. I could've taken him up on his offer. But the whole time I would've been thinking about my new boyfriend and he would've been goggling all of the other girls at the prom. He probably would have wanted to go to his favorite restaurant before prom and still would've made me pay for my half. He'd probably have his mom drive us to dinner or take the bus - does that sound like a romantic night or a chance for redemption?

I apologize for my rant. That's a little off of the subject. I guess I'm sending a shout-out to anyone else who is going to the prom without a date: don't let it bring you down. I have a friend who is thinking about skipping prom just because she doesn't have a date. Prom is one of the last fun things we get to do before we graduate. Why would you want to skip that? It's part of the fun of senior year. Even if you don't have a date, you owe yourself a chance to go and at least check it out. Someday, if/when you have kids they may be going to their prom and ask you about yours. You might not think you'll feel any regret now but maybe you will then.

So go with a group of friends, maybe even throw a sleepover or something for the night of prom. Make it into your night. I placed way too much importance on having a guy to slow dance with or grand march with me. But what is really important is just having a good time. There is too much pressure on students to have dates to every dance, especially the prom.

Denim Jackets

One of the items that I think about every woman should have in their closet is a denim jacket. When some people think of denim jackets, they think about the denim on denim cowboy look. There are a lot of creative ways to wear a denim jacket.

One of my favorite ways that I have seen the classic denim jacket worn is with a sundress. Lighter colored denim jackets go really well with white and floral print sundresses. It’s a really cute look. I love it because you can pair it with just about anything and it can be such a laid back look. I’ve seen girls pair sundresses with denim jackets and flip-flops and although it looks effortless, it looks good. I’ve seen this look on a lot of mannequins in store windows at the mall.

Denim jackets aren’t only good with dresses though. You can easily pair a denim jacket with pants, but not just denim pants. I’ve seen girls wear dark wash denim jackets with plaid pants or even candy colored skinny jeans. Dark wash denim jackets add an extra edge to any outfit, I believe.

Denim jackets are also great to own because you can customize them so easily. I have a denim jacket that I covered with buttons a while ago. You can even sew patches on them too. If you enjoy creative stuff like I do, a denim jacket makes a really great project. You can easily find a denim jacket at a thrift store, then take it home and alter it however you like.

Personally, I really enjoy wearing my denim vest with the black dress I have and I enjoy wearing my dark wash denim jacket with my red sun dress. I barely ever wear jeans but I do wear denim quite a bit. Denim is good for so much more than just pants.

Denim jackets are great because they're so common. You can find them just about anywhere, whether it's at a department store, a little shop in the mall or your local Goodwill. I love denim jackets because they are so versatile. You can wear them with almost anything and customize them any way you like.

The Perfect Date

One of the most common themes of my friends’ conversations lately has been "the perfect date." This is probably because prom is right around the corner and we're all fantasizing about the big night. But I can't help but realize how girls can have such drastically different perceptions about "the perfect date."

For example, my sister said that her perfect date would consist of eating sushi and then watching Star Trek all night. This was after I told her that since this was hypothetical, she could have anything she wanted. I told her the cost of the date didn't matter and she still just wanted to eat cold fish and watch a dorky science fiction show.

Not all women imagine the perfect date as being taken for a night on the town in a limo. Personally, I could have fun just walking through the park or going to see a movie. Besides, I don't think it's the location that makes the date perfect but how well the date and I get along.

None the less though, I do imagine my perfect date just like my girlfriends do. It's always a little different in my head. I think of different scenarios. I'd like to go out to an open mike show at a comedy club or at a restaurant. One of the nicest dates I've ever been on, my date sang karaoke to me. I always think it's cool when people can be so fearless.

But ideally, my perfect date would probably be a midnight stroll in a garden or something. I know, it sounds romantic and silly. I think all of the perfect date scenarios sound a little silly though. I wonder sometimes if guys ever think about the perfect date. I know it sounds really goofy and they probably don't spend any time thinking about it at all.

I would hate to be a guy. Guys have to stress about creating the perfect date. It seems like a double standard to me. The girl expects to be treated like a princess, have the guy pay for the meal, pull her chair out, get the door for her...but does she treat her date like a king? Maybe there's a reason why guys don't fantasize about the perfect date. It may just be because they don't care that much though.

I'm even uncomfortable with a guy paying, so thinking of a guy kissing up to me the whole date would make me uncomfortable. I guess it doesn't make the other girls uncomfortable. But isn't it a little rude that we're fantasizing and holding guys up to these romantic expectations that they'll never be able to live up to? After all, shouldn't it be more about the connection with your date and less about how much he spends on a meal or if he forgets to open a door for you?

Great Ways to Meet New People

I know have a lot of friends who are uncomfortable in social situations, who struggle to come out of their shell. Here are some ways to come out of your shell and meet new people.

1.) If you have an interest, join a club!

This doesn't just include school. If you look, you'll find clubs for almost anything. There are crochet and knitting groups you can join, political groups, social groups...Google it! I even have a friend who has a video game group who frequently has parties. You'd be surprised by how many different groups may exist around you. If there is something you're passionate about, maybe you should consider making your own group.

I've heard a lot recently about Live Action Role Plays. Even if you're not sure how to participate, my friends say that it is a lot of fun and also a great way to meet new people. If you aren’t sure how to participate but are interested, usually people are more than happy to help you learn.

2.) Open Mike

This is another way to experiment socially. There's a frequent open-mike night at least on coffee shop in every town I've ever been too. If you like performing, maybe you could participate too. But just going to see the acts is a great way to socialize and enjoy the local talent.

3.) Try out new restaurants!

This one is an extension of the one above. Trying a new restaurant may be a good way to branch out, try some good food, and maybe even meet new people. Usually coffee shops work pretty well for socializing too.

4.) Reach out to friends of friends

One of the most frustrating things for me, when meeting new people is when I'm introduced to a friend of a friend and I really hit it off but don't ask for their number or try to get any closer to them. Friends of friends are great people to make friends with because you probably already have some things in common and know a little about each other through your mutual friend.

5.) Reach out to your neighbors!

I live in an apartment complex that has a handful of social events in the summer. I only recently moved in so I haven't had time to attend any of these events but I'm planning on attending the next one that pops up. A neighbor makes a great fun, if not for any other reason because you don't have to drive across town to see them.

Overall, the best thing you can do to meet people, I believe is to push the limits of your comfort zone. If you stay cooped up in your house all of the time of Facebook or playing video games you'll miss out on great opportunities to make lifelong friendships.

Being Young

If you're feeling depressed, insecure, and your partner is one of the contributing factors making you feel this way, it's time to move on.

This is a tip to all of the teenagers I know here at my high school and all of my friends who get stuck in unhealthy or unhappy relationships. It's not worth it. Being young doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to date and shouldn't have fun meeting different people and setting standards for what you'd want in a potential mate. But you shouldn't sacrifice your happiness just to be in relationship.

People are in such a rush to settle down, move in together, I just want to enjoy being young which is why I finally broke it off with my boyfriend of about two years. He proposed to me twice and was already talking about having kids and spending the rest of his life with me. It was too much. I never even got to enjoy being young and having fun with him. We always just sat around doing nothing. I never got to be taken out on a real date. He made me feel insecure and unimportant. It took me months to realize that I deserved better.

I believe the high school atmosphere pressures students quite a bit into feeling the need to have partners. It seems like there’s always a dance coming up or something. I have friends who aren’t even going to prom because they don’t have a date. And to be honest, that’s one of the reasons I was delaying breaking up with my boyfriend. I wanted the whole story-book romantic night – looking like a princess, going out to eat, slow dancing. But I’ve realized that I can have just as much fun with a group of friends. You don’t have to have a date to enjoy going to dances at school.

So, I dumped him and I'm surprised by how good I feel. There's this guy who has been taking me out on real dates. Who wants to spend time with me and doesn't treat being around me like a chore. Even my friends have noticed a change in me. People are saying I look a lot happier.

When you’re young, life should be about enjoying being young. It took me a while to figure this out because I was in such a rush to grow up. I hadn’t realized that in rushing to start my own life, I was settling for someone I was incredibly unhappy with and increasingly frustrated with. Now, I feel so much better. I feel free and I finally feel alive.

So if you feel stuck in a relationship that you’re unhappy with, don’t settle. Putting off the breakup for as long as possible will only make it worse. You’re young. Break it off, open your heart and I’m sure someone better will come along.

That's so Gay

Gay. It's a word that a lot of us use, but very few of us actually even know what it means.


While surfing the internet, I found quite a few definitions for it.


According to Dictionary.com, it could be any of five things:


1.) Homosexual
2.) Relating to homosexuals
3.) Being in a merry mood
4.)Showy or brightly colored
5.)Given to social or other pleasures


On the Meriam Webster Dictionary website, it had four different defintions, very similar to the definitons on Dictionary.com


1.) "Keenly alive or exuberant"
2.) Brightly colored
3.)Partaking in social pleasures
4.) Homosexual


Funny, I did not see in any of the definitions I looked at, gay offically defined as stupid. Gay is not a synonym for stupid. What a shocker.


But why do we continue to use it this way? Do you have any idea how many synonyms there are for stupid already? Let me give you a hint.


These are the synonyms I obtained from Synonym.com:


anserine, dopy, dopey, foolish, goosey, goosy, gooselike, jerky, blockheaded, boneheaded, duncical, duncish, fatheaded, loggerheaded, thick, thickheaded, thick-skulled, wooden-headed, cloddish, doltish, dense, dim, dull, dumb, obtuse, slowgaumless, gormless, lumpish, lumpen, unthinking, nitwitted, senseless, soft-witted, witless, weak, yokel-like.


And I'm sure there are thousands more. Look them up, I dare you.


I'm aware that words like lumpen and loggerheaded aren't quite as catchy as gay. I mean, come on, it's one syllabel! When you're insulting something or someone else for being stupid, you're not only using a word incorrectly but you're also too lazy to use more than a one syllabel word. I'd call you stupid, but I'd rather say lazy. I'm sure you have the capability that I have to look up synonyms on the internet and incorporate them into your vocabulary. I'm sure you're smart enough to know that gay is most definetely not a synonym for stupid, but you're too lazy to eliminate it from your vocubulary.


Not only does it make you sound unintellegent to use a word incorrectly, but it hurts people. I have many gay friends and even straight friends who have been offended by hearing it in the hallway. Treat others how you want to be treated. How would feel if catch phrases like, "That's so jock" or "that's so straight?" How would you feel if people were mocking a piece of you so nonchalantly that they have incorporated into not only their daily word bank but their hourly word bank.


I just don't understand why out of all of the words in the dictionary that are synonymous with stupid, people have to use a word that isn't intended to be used for that purpose.

"Gay." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. N.p.  n.d. 

Web. 25 Apr. 2012.

"Gay." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster. N.p. n.d.

Web. 25 Apr. 2012.

"Synonyms for Stupid." Synonyms Thesaurus with Antonyms & Definitions. N.p.

Web. 25 Apr. 2012.