Poems for Today - by Rosie Sperling

In the following poems I will describe to you parts of my room and parts of my day.

Characters:

Mo, room chum, friend, baby-faced roommate- Ms. Petch

I, me, my - Ms. Sperling

Gentry - Mr. Gentry; Old Testament Prof

Haiku

A picture of that

Big rose is pasted on my

wall, it is perfect.

Limerick

There once was a room in Park Hall.

It was cozy and nice, but quite small.

"It stinks in here some,"

Said Mo, my room chum.

And then we hung stuff on the wall.

Quatrain

The light streams in the window.

What horror is this that shines so bright?

Being on the top bunk exposes me,

So that I wish it were still night.

Couplet

"Is that a picture of your family, there, in the middle?"

"No, I am just one of their adopted kiddle."

Free Verse

I leave this place mid-morning, usually.

When I return,

More learned from whence I left,

My friend, my baby-faced roommate,

Says, "Welcome back! Come, join me!"

We draw and listen to the music

Set forth by Sony or Mac.

I leave again, only to return overwhelmed

By the great amount of reading, writing, and reading of writing

That needs to be accomplished by next week.

Fumbling over philosophers; I hunker down;

My nose never comes up.

I am studious!

I open my computer to type, but

"Crack"-book has caught me!

When I manage to deny myself the delight,

My crocheting project looks up and says,

"Don't work too hard! Take care of yourself!

Work on me! I am worth it!"

I hear the supper bell ring from the outer hall.

I leave this place again.

I come back again, only to leave with The Book.

(Yes, The Book and my notebook is all I need

to succeed in Gentry's class.

Succeed I do.)

My day done, I retreat into this place: my room.

Face washed, teeth brushed, eyes off,

I crawl into the large, fluffy, purple abyss:

My duvet cover (that now has a rip

from the right corner to the left).

Sleep. Turn over, don't fall off the bed.

Sleep, sleep, and more sleep.