Things I Learned Last Year

Things I Learned Last Year

When people walk, they tend to stay on the right.

Walk on the left, and you will learn that the hard way.

Clay, regardless of color, picks up every speck of dust in can possibly find.

The result is a disgusting, hairy grey lump.

Every year, we save up every penny,

then spend it on playthings and miscellaneous items of no real value.

Afterwards, we love to brag and boast about how much we saved,

and show the things we bought, glossing over how much we spent.

Hacking into the fabled Silverlake Wi-Fi doesn't mean

that what you get is of any use.

Being 12 isn't a whole lot different than being 13,

except that you're one year closer to dying.

When I die, I would like it to be in the morning,

just after sunrise.

Then, I could enjoy one last dawn

and let the sun carry me up to the clouds.

People all around the world occupy themselves by putting

their billion dollar autographs

on a piece of paper that marks the coming and going of the human race.

Poem Time!!!

The tone of my poem is meant to start out funny and lighthearted, but as it progresses, it begins to turn into a more reflective piece (which reminds me of visualization during swim practice). The first three two-line stanzas are just quirky and funny little comments, while the longer stanzas and the remaining two-line stanza are more serious, and even a bit dark (for my tastes). My poem is very similar in structure and even tone in comparison with Stafford's poem. The 7 stanzas follow the patterns that he uses in his poem. The tone also becomes gradually more serious the further you get. Many of the lines themselves are based directly off of the original. I know I'm so original, right (get it?)?

Reflection:

2015 was a much anticipated year for many (or maybe it's just me), but did it live up to its expectations? Well, no. I didn't meet even half of my New Year's Resolutions (not bad, considering that I met none of them the year before), so the bar this year is set pretty low, and what little remains of the ambitious 12 year old has carried over into the next year, and probably will continue to do so until, well, I don't know. (INSERT POSITIVITY... Oh, wait, there is none... I'll try to think harder. There has got to be something). Things have changed. Impulsiveness, extremes, motivation, energy and so many things that once defined me have faded into the grey. The wiring up in headquarters has changed. If you've ever watched Inside Out, it's like when Goofball Island collapses. Pre-teen me has not completely disappeared yet, but 2015 has taken a decent bite out of who I was and replaced it with factors that are still mostly unknown. I guess we'll just have to find out.