On the Other Side of the Wall
published in Where the Animals Move like Planets - California Poets in the Schools Statewide Anthology 2016 (p. 95)
On the other side of the wall
there is a terrible beast waiting for another victim
waiting in the shadows
where the light is dim.
On the other side of the wall
there is a fairy godmother granting a wish
to a little boy
who wants a fish.
On the other side of the wall
is a forest of birds chirping their enchanting little songs
for a time that seems forever,
who knows how long?
About this poem
When I was six, I really wanted to be a published author when I grew up. But I had confidence issues, and I was certain that I wasn’t good enough and that I would not actually be happy as a writer. But in fourth grade, a poetry unit led by California Poets in the Schools rekindled my love for writing. Now, my poems weren’t any good back then, and I didn’t think they were that good either, but when On the Other Side of the Wall got published, I had a surge of confidence that allowed me to really engage with the fifth grade creative writing unit. Since then, I’ve kept writing, although now I generally write prose, not poetry.