My 11-year-old daughter gave me an assignment last week: “write a poem about something you care about,” and it had to be handwritten. After a couple extensions on the deadline (phew), I finally turned it in. I don’t usually write poems with verses that rhyme, but she often does, so I thought I would try a poem in her style. I think I got full credit (even though it was late). And the typed version is below in case, like her, you can’t read my writing.
Perhaps the easiest one
is to go left or to go right
Or maybe to stand up or sit tight
And then there’s going red
or green or brown
Put it right side up
or upside down
And of course you can go slow
or you can go fast
Take it right up to the line
or go past
You can rock or you can roll
You can sleep or stay awake
Keep your eyes wide open
for as much as you can take
You can listen or go deaf
and pretend it’s not there
Choose right or choose wrong
or call the whole thing unfair
There are no strings attached
or someone else writing your part
No one else controls your thoughts
or pumps blood through your heart
We’d like to give credit or
blame others for the view
But in the end it’s a choice
and only you control you.