i plant earth into the ground,
watch my hands
bloom over the space
like the crested moon that rotated
around the sun this year.
i want to call my friend alisha,
tell her something
i pretend she doesn’t know
about america. the only thing that separates
us is different
moons. i stand back
up, think about what to confess
to last year’s me. i finished
three marking periods
without blood. i ate cookies for the first time
without shame. i found
a life that doesn’t need to keep fortunes
safe. my mom
waves for me to come back
inside, her hands raised
high as if holding up
the sky. we are what grounds
the world, i hear
and pick my head back
up.
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
This poem falls within the theme of new beginnings. It is a short recollection of memories throughout the year personal to me. They are strong moments but gentle in writing as they roll through me one last time before the year ends. I believe that it’s important to relax oneself and think; one does not have to think about everything that happened in the year, but I like to have some reflection that involves a connection with the Earth, friends and family, and myself. At the end of the poem, I am brought back to new beginnings; I become aware of the things around me that I appreciate and pay attention to.
Jacklyn Vandermel
Jacklyn (you can call her Jackie!) Vandermel is a 15 year old, rising sophomore at Northern Valley Demarest High School. She is a poet for Zenerations and passionately writes about diversity, equality, and mental health. She loves being adventurous and learning new things.
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