The Photograph As Muse

Using the Photography of Mary Ellen Mark students were inspired by a fine art photograph to write a poem , using mood words and expressive details from the photograph to guide them . Students learned the meaning of a mood word and how to recognize the details in a fine art photograph that help express mood  and emotion . I build upon the ideas presented in this assignment as a introduction to "Expressing Feelings" how to convey the abstract in a photograph. 
"Expressing Feelings " Images and poems created by students will be posted soon . 

The Neverland in Our Dreams

Take us away

To somewhere like Neverland

Where we can be adults

As soon as we want to be.

Somewhere where people don’t underestimate us by our age, our looks, or our actions.

Somewhere we don’t need things like parents or teachers.

Somewhere we do not have to depend on our "stuff" to strengthen our lives.

The Neverland where we can be ourselves.

Can you take us there?

The gun is pointed at her head.

Somber, cold, and unfeeling.

She’s still there, somehow.

Her hand stays on the tree, inexplicably.

I wonder when it started going downhill, or if it was always like this.

How far away can she walk before she turns around?

The Shadow Knows

Life is pain

You go through tough times

You keep friends

And you lose friends

But the only person that stays with you is

Your

Shadow

Your Shadow is the only one who stays with you

Your shadow is the only one who knows you the best

It matches you everyday

And you can never run away from it

Going to Sleep

The night has come

And we lie here.

This world around us dearly decays.

bottles, and dirty scissors

holds us together.

We lie here.

Tired, sad, empty.

There may be hope but its fumes wane.

So we sleep and wash our pains away.

My eyes still linger open.

But I try to make them shut

Because I know there will be another day.

There will be another day.

How did we get here?

She cries every night

About the girl who lost her smile

How did this happen

Kept away by

Arms eternally crossed

Clouds of helplessness

Invade

Her mind

The girl’s empty eyes

Remind her of the old girl that she

Hasn’t seen in a while .

I walk down the street with my dog at my side, my faithful companion.

Happiness radiates from me

Across the busy street I glance seeing what drowns my fenced heart

Two girls not older than me, barefoot on the sidewalk

I yearn to walk over and help, but I look away.

I wait and wait and wait for them to move,

Not even looking at the boys in their arms

People walk around them, avoiding them, cringing from the boys’wails

And still they don’t move

Finally, as I turn away, they glance, and what I see floods my heart like the water down a empty road

Resentment, angry, sadness

So powerfully expressed that I step back

And still I walk away, protecting my sheltered heart.

May your last breath be cherished; filled with grace.

These words a wish that I do hope you take.

For when I look into your dying face,

I see the hardships endured in this sad place.

No matter the color of skin you are

I hope my dear wish does take you far

That you go and see Him

Sometimes when you look in the mirror, you see your reflection.

But I don’t need a mirror.

Ten Years Passed and I see myself again.

Collecting, dreaming, exploring.

Naïve to life, and full of joy; no stress!

Plenty of confidence .

No time machine or video and I am definitely not in a dream.

It’s just someone exactly like me.

 Ballet Class, and Soccer Games on Saturdays.

I wish she knew how easy she had it.

No Regrets.

I love my little sister.

Let me go inside now.

Inside where it’s warm. Where it’s light and I don’t have to wear this veil. Where there is no darkness looming above.

Let me go to a place that I can take my gloves off, uncross my arms, and feel safe.

I wonder when I’ll be able to go inside. When these wounds will heal, only leaving scars behind.

Scars that I’m proud of, scars that make me who I am, unlike sad eyes. Sad eyes that won’t go away and are surrounded by darkness, hidden by darkness.

Please, let me in. I need light.

She comes to a stop in the middle of the dirt road .

Her eyes look past mine, looking without seeing.

I’m just an obstacle for her

on her road to freedom

from grief, from death, from pain.

She knows I’m waiting for her to speak

to explain to me where she’s going.

I offer her my coat, though I know

She doesn’t want my help.