Waking Up

She digs her fingers through soil, underneath her nails dirt shifts

Breathing in the scent of the earth, moist air washes over her soul like the ocean tide

She lifts her head to take in the scene, and the whispery air tosses her tresses

She glances around at the life springing up, the green shoots peeking through brown musty earth

They reach for the sun, like a sleepy child stretching her arms when she wakes

The life that’s been sleeping blinks its eyes

The observer stands and steps along gingerly, gently

She takes care not to disturb the wakeful blooms that slowly turn their head towards the sun

They’re readying themselves to face the day

Dear Mama,

For some reason, I really love writing poems about spring and the new life that comes with it. I always feel like the world around me is waking up after a long slumber, and I find that really inspiring. In this poem, that’s what I focus on. Something you often tell me is “Tomorrow is a new day, and things will look better.” I think there’s something very hopeful about the prospect of waking up to a new day and better tomorrow.

The reason I chose to dedicate this poem to you is because I think it’s one of my best pieces. With this poem, I really worked hard to put to use everything I was learning throughout my Creative Writing course to make it great. I paid special attention to the metaphors and personification, trying carefully to make it unique. I tried my best to employ as much imagery as I could to make it sound beautiful, but not use so much that it was overkill. Out of all the poetry I've written throughout the semester, I think this is the piece that I’m proudest of.

It seems like a fantastic one to dedicate to you, the woman who pours everything into her family and considers us her highest achievement. Thank you for always being proud of me.