Happy Poetry Month

Since it is poetry month, I have decided to write my blog about my favorite poet because she inspires me so much. Her name is Nikki Giovanni. I like her because she speaks in a language that I can understand and relate to. Nikki Giovanni’s famous poem Ego Trippin makes me feel proud to be black. I like poetry because it allows you to look at something in a new way. When I read poetry I learn how to be more creative and express my feelings in a different way. Even though poetry seems like it has no rules, I have learned that there are lots poetic forms, like sonnets (14 lines each) or haikus (3 lines each with a syllable count like this: 5 – 7 – 5). But even though I studied these forms, I also got to create my own form (7 syllables in each line and there are 7 lines). Being able to get out there and write my own poetry is why I love Nikki Giovanni.

Her first book came out in 1968, a year before she had her son. Since then she has written almost thirty books. Here are some great lines from Ego Trippin:

I am so hip - even my errors are correct
I turned myself into myself-and was Jesus!
The tears from my birth pains created the Nile
He gave me Rome for Mother’s Day
I mean ... I ... can fly
like a bird in the sky ...


In part because of her work, I was able to write this poem, which is how I will close my blog out today.

Where I’m From

I’m from the house that plays loud Bob Marley music
I’m from my mom making mashed potatoes
I’m from every new ipod, laptop, cell phone and TVI’m from my friends coming to my birthday parties and going shopping
with them
Buying all the cute baby phat shirts and skinny jeans
I’m from my fashion designs
I’m from the Louis Vuitton bags
I’m from the soft sheets on my bed
I’m from people loving all my blogs
I’m from many New Year’s Eves with all the fireworks
gleaming in the sky
I’m from Kwanzaa celebrations to Christmas parties to baby showers to Easter dinners
I’m from my pre-K Little Sun People
I’m from my family
Most importantly I’m from my house that plays loud Bob Marley music.
c. 2010 by Nisa Rashid