This week was my last week with my senior students, and needless to say, it was an emotional week for me. I tend to get incredibly attached to my students, and I try to keep in touch with them as they grow up into young adults. One student in particular I have kept close touch with is the beautiful young lady you see in the photograph below, Natalia. Natalia is one of those student who has turned into a dear friend. While we may have first bonded over a shared piece of dark chocolate, that simple shared love grew from something educational into something familial. She is fiercely loyal, she is loving and gentle, and she is quite possible one of the best young poets I have met.
Natalia is someone who sees the beauty in everything around her, whether it is the shadows dancing on a wall or the good in each and every person sitting next to her. It’s actually somewhat hard to write about her here because I replay her eloquent words through my head, and all my words seem to pale in comparison.
With that said, below I have shared a variety of her poetry. Her ability to inspire with her words comes in many forms and styles, and what you’ll see in this post is only the tip of the iceberg. You can find more of her writing and her poetry here, but be sure to also read her “About Me” page. She wrote a poem introducing herself to the world, and it just might be the most perfect description of her.
What I love about this poem from Natalia is that I know how much she loves blackout poetry, and I see so much of her in this simple poem. This style of poetry is the perfect example of how Natalia can find beauty and all around her. What started off as a random page in a book quickly became a reflection of her hopeless romantic spirit. Oh, and on top of her creativity with her words, she can draw too :)
What I love about this poem from Natalia is that this is a type of poetry SHE actually taught ME. It’s called a tanka poem, which is known for its five-line, 5/7/5/7/7 syllable count form. These poems with specific syllable patterns are a challenging and impressive feat!
dance through the kitchen
at night with me on your arm
hold me close, spin me
like a black and white movie
as we listen to our song
What I love about this poem from Natalia is that it was inspired by a line from a song. Art often inspires art. We practiced that in our class together, and now it warms my heart to see Natalia doing the same thing in her own independent writing.
can't be afraid anymore
"the way things have fallen
can't be afraid anymore"
she rests her hand in his
as they silently drive
and search for forever in each others’ eyes
going to a place they don’t know or can’t find
a few words, a touch, and a spark
could actions so simple truly ignite hearts?
the way she dances through the park
and the light his laughter brings to the dark
she looks at him like if he reached so high
he could touch heaven and hang the stars in the sky
a few to shine down on them in the night
to let their hearts soar and take flight
"the way things have fallen
can't be afraid anymore"
but so quickly they soar, they shatter quicker
because hearts don’t always travel together
he lied to her that they’d last forever
and she blames him and burns every letter
clinging to the past can’t bring restoration
because from yesterday’s dreams they have already woken
nothing can change the wrongs that were done
so they resolve to crush each other’s hearts before they move on
they were searching for a treasure they couldn’t find
and Time: it divides and divides and divides
but after hours and years, his heart is still seared on her mind
because for a second he hung the stars in her eyes
"the way things have fallen
can't be afraid anymore"
natalia bosch