I am 17

& the whole wide world is open for me. College, gap year, military or work. There are too many choices to pick form. Mom , Dad, Aunts and Uncles, Teachers and Friends are telling me, make the choice. Make the choice of what you want to be, who you want to be and where you want to be. And all I want to say back is

I am 17

& I want to be sneaking out of the house to my boyfriends, having a party when my parents are away. But I don’t.

That is the key here.

I don’t because I have their trust and I don’t want to loose it. I don’t because I listen to what they have to say and I respect when they tell me no. I don’t because they raised me right. But still Mom , Dad, Aunts and Uncles, Teachers and Friends are telling me, make the choice. Make the choice of what you want to be, who you want to be and where you want to be. And all I want to say back is

I am 17

& I don’t want to be at home filling out applications. I want to be driving too fast, spending too much money and being with friends. But I don’t.

That is the key here.

I don’t because I know that my future matters. I don’t because I know that college is expensive and I know my family doesn’t have a lot of money to pay for it. I don’t because they raised me right. But still Mom , Dad, Aunts and Uncles, Teachers and Friends are telling me, make the choice. Make the choice of what you want to be, who you want to be and where you want to be. And all I want to say back is

I am 17

& I know my life matters, I know that I need to fill this out and sign that. But if you want me to be successful and live my life, they let me be me. Let me sneak out of the house, let me throw a party and get caught, let me drive to fast, get a ticket, spend all my money on one thing and then learn the value of work and let me be with my friends. All I have left with them is this one summer. But I don’t.

That is the key here.

I tell them,

I am 17

& I am going to kick college’s ass. I am going to spend late nights in the library studying and writing papers. I am going to attend all my classes. I am going to become a vet, have a family and make a lot of money. But as for right now, I am going to sneak out of the house to see my boyfriend, throw a party when your away, drive to fast just cause I can, spend all my money on expensive coffee and hang out with my friends, just for one last summer. Then I’ll make the choices. What I’m going to be, Who I’m going to be, Where I’m going to be.

High School Career

My high school basketball career has come and gone
My last game in my maroon and white
Players sitting, heads bowed
Sweaty jerseys covering eyes
Anguish in our hearts
Yet no one wants to show it
Silence in the locker room
Then Coach walked in
We picked up our heads and caught his eyes
He stood for a moment his gaze pouring over each of us
He had emotion in his eyes, when he spoke emotion in his voice
He spoke of our season, of the Gorham tradition
A tradition and brotherhood of which we were all now a part of
He didn’t dwell on our dismal record nor our lack of accomplishments
Rather he spoke of our effort, our work ethic our pride
Tears in his eyes cracking of his voice
He was proud of us, no other team did he wish he could coach
Those words meant the most to us as a team.

I Don't Know

A poem for English is due today,
Yet nothing has come to mind I must say.
Soccer, baseball, skiing are all a thought,
So is the time I made the winning shot.
But when it comes down to it I don’t know,
I might as well write one badly, so-so.
Here it goes my effort exuded,
All nouns, adjectives I know included.
Pets, sports, hobbies, no idea where to start,
Maybe instead of thoughts I’ll try my heart.
Hmm feelings, maybe I’ll give them a go.
Pain, sadness, happiness from head to toe.
I think, but nothing comes, oh darn what next?
Damn! Herlihy says it must be complex.
Well there goes my thoughts along with the bell,
Out the door I go knowing I’ll hear hell.

Shelby

You sit there weeping begging for me to come back to you.
Waiting for me to kiss you as you tie your shoes.
Ready for me to attack with kisses upon kisses.
You act as though I’m not with you, as though I have left you for good.
I can see the pain on your face with me gone.
I am with you every hour of every day.


You think back to times we shared.
Going on walks in the neighborhood when we were both young.
Laying in bed together falling asleep.
Playing in the snow with you throwing snow balls at me.
Me tackling you into the snow with all the force I have.


I follow you through the day always by your side.
I watched you as you became victorious in something you love.
I watched as you lead a group of young kids to something very rare.
I watched you as you spent nights wishing for me to come back.
I stand beside you now as you write this poem.

Late Night Talks

I am from a father whose only income was picking potatoes, from a mother who took care of 7 other siblings.
I am from dirt roads, back woods, PBR, and Jason Aldean.
I am from a society where Sunday is just like any other day.
I am from trips to the County, cribbage, and family friends that are as good as any.
I am from a household where the person you thought you resented most, has taught you the most about life.
I am from a 19 person sisterhood, win together- loose together.
I am from a team that was expected to win that semi-final game. And Didn’t.
I am from a childhood where visiting the same town when you’re younger means life, laughter, and love. But going back as you get older only means death.
I am from bonfires, Chadbourne Ridge, Middle Rd. and a great group of friends.
I am from Gorham PD, Buxton PD, Groville, and the mini mart.
I am from a father who opened his own fishing tackle, archery, and hunting shop called ‘Barnes Outfitters.’
I am also from a father who gave up his two stores in Freeport and Portland, to be with his oldest daughter.
I am from long nights scooping ice cream with my Beal’s girls.
I am from an Uncle, 4 Grandparents, and many more, who were buried in the Presque Isle Cemetery.
I am from mud on my jeans, long nights, trees being chopped down, and loud trucks.
I am from a daycare where I thought the kids were my brothers and sisters, and our provider was our mom.
I am from a little girl, standing over her Grandparents casket's, at the age of Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen.
I am from a desire, a dream, and a vision in 2009.
I am from a Polaris 550 fan cooled super sport snowmobile; it gets me there.
I am from teachers that have taught me the world, and some that have taught me the classroom.

Thanks Kevin Rudolf!

I am 3 and I am speeding down the road in my bright pink Barbie jeep, the warm sun kissing my shoulders, my mother chasing me as I drive away, feeling the 3 mile per hour wind in my hair.
I am 4 and I have a baby brother that I am supposed to love but the only feeling that I have for him is jealousy, jealousy of the attention and the love that was once mine.
I am 6 and I am what they call a late bloomer. I am finally ready to take the plunge and remove my training wheels, no matter how many times I scuff my knees on the tar. 
I am 8 and I have transferred schools 3 times, making and losing friends as I go, hoping that one day I will be able to enjoy the feeling of stability like the other kids.
I am 10 and I have a slip and slide in my back yard. I glide across the hot blue plastic in my pink polk-a-dot bathing suit, crashing into the refreshing puddle that greets me at the end.
I am 13 and I have finally grown the nerve to stand up to my Father. I have finally decided that enough is enough, and I will not allow him to bully my brother and I as we sit in fearsome silence.
I am 16 and for the first time I have realized that my actions affect others more than they affect me. Reality has officially given me a slap in the face and has told me that it is time to grow up.
I am 17 and I am finally at the place that I need to be and God has graced me with a life that has prepared me for the future that I must handle alone.
I am 17 and my maturity tramples that of my Mother.
I am a child forced to abandon the days of jumping on the trampoline in the summer sunshine for a boring job.
I am 17 and even though there are things that I wish I could still do, I know that the decisions I make will be worth it in the end.
I am 17 and I have made my motto for life, “Go big, or go home!”
I am 17 and I’ve made it.

the key to understanding this poem is in the title.

This entire poem is a metaphor

for an idea that you simply are not deep enough to comprehend.

because there must be some reason for me to say

that “the tree had embraced me with smooth, cool gray branches”

instead of saying “I was in the tree that was cold and gray.”

the tree means something, doesn’t it?

I mean maybe I’m dealing with the loss of a beloved pet,

or maybe my mother never really loved me,

or maybe I had just acheived something great.

I must have been experiencing a lot of pain or happiness when I wrote this.

any analysis of this poem should consist of at least 450 words.

all misspellings and grammatical errors are intentional artistic choices made by the poet.

so you should probably say something about that in the analysis.