The Black Outcast

***Writing Tip: Take a look at the outsider.  What good and bad qualities does he/she have? What would you do to prove to someone else that the person wasn't as bad as they thought he/she was?***

He didn't look like us.

His pierced ears always held pointed black earrings.
He didn't have money to eat school lunch.
His long hair flopped in his face.

He swore a lot, but not around me.
His jeans had chains and he always wore black.

He kissed me on the forehead once
His kiss wasn't dirty at all.
He was the person to stay away from.

His old skater boy shoes were laughed at.
He pushed my black wheelchair once.

His jokes were sometimes dirty without him trying.
He didn't dare come near my friends
His grease stained hands took the Bible from me.

He was hated by the students.
His heart wasn't black like they thought.

Chopping Wood

***Writing Tip: Take a recent experience and write about it in full sentences finding natural separation points to distinguish line breaks.***

I wasn't tired
but I had chopped wood
all day long.
My arm hurt a little
but not enough
for me to notice much.
There was sawdust everywhere
and it stuck to my jacket
irritating my skin.
The work gloves I wore
were five sizes too big
to fit Grandpa's swollen hands.
Chopping wood was better
than stacking the wood
at home.
Besides, throwing branches
and trunks kept my mind
off things for a while.
I wanted to do something
but I didn't know what
just something with my cousins.
I planned to go to the movie
with two of my cousins
who didn't like each other.
The movie was hard
it made me cry
and cling to James.
I worried about myself
but we couldn't talk
he was too busy for me.
The day afterward
I found out
he was touched by it too.
I had reason
to be worried
about both of us.
Chopping wood
chopping hearts
chopping up our lives.







pulling up sleeves