my poetry

[The Mad Hatter]

here's a poem I wrote for my creative writing class:

We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon.



your thoughts?

[Ashley]

I think you're a plagarist. That's a very famous poem by Gwendolyn Brooks.

[The Mad Hatter]

you might not believe this, but gwendolyn brooks actually stole it from me. It's a long story, I can explain if you want.

[PotBelliedCow]

Explain, my friend.

*sits back with soda in hand*

[The Mad Hatter]

alright. see, me and gwendolyn go way back. I wrote that poem, but forgot to sign my name. then the teacher asked who wrote it, and gwendolyn said she wrote it. anyway, we argued over it a little, and Im still mad at her. it might seem strange that she's about 50 and Im only 15, but I was born on feb 29. as most of u know, feb 29 only comes every 4 years, so we were really the same age at that time. so please dont call me a plagiarist

[Icarus]

One quick thing. 64.

On the poem, plagiarized or not, eh. Sorry to be so blunt, but I don't really understand it. Unlike some poems, where understanding and appreciation lie on the other side of a bit of thinking, I doubt clarity will come with thought, and I further doubt it would bring enjoyment.

[TwilightApostle]

Icarus, you probably feel that way because the poem is written to a different group than yours. While it can apply to any group of hipster teenagers, this one kind of speaks to the African American community and their practices, specifically their propensity for dying soon. It's kind of abrupt and jaunted, with the "We" being placed at the end of the line that precedes it. I'm not entirely sure, but I think we're supposed to view that as meaning that the life of the cool kids is fleeting and truncated.
And by the way, I agree with Ashley. I'm also a little peeved because that's a favoreite poem of mine.