Poet Inspires Strong School Students

On April 18, students at Frank Ward Strong Middle school had the wonderful opportunity to hear poet Richard Murphy speak. Murphy taught writing and literature for 22 years at Bradford College and Emmanuel College. Now he teaches at University College, VCU in Richmond.  

Murphy has published many written works such as two books of poems, including Voyeur, which won the Gival Press Poetry Prize in 2008 and The Apple in the Monkey Tree. Rolling Stone magazine and Poetry have featured his poems.

Murphy spoke to the audience as if he was teaching a class, making it feel like a learning experience for everyone. The assembly was a “double whammy”; not only did students and staff hear Murphy speak but they also heard their peers share their own poems.

The poems were all unique and each had its own style. Some of the poems shared were even in a other languages such as latin and spanish. Each poem was filled with heart and soul. Sharing in front of friends and teachers is no easy task for a middle schooler and takes courage. The students were very poised in the way they spoke and presented their poems. Watching students present their poems and hearing the inspirational words of Richard Murphy was inspiring. Strong teacher Elizabeth Mayo organized the event.

Below is a sampling of student poems written in anticipation of Murphy's visit to the school.

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Audra Smigel

A word is a spirit,
Whispering close to a friend,
Power in it’s meaning,
Creating a diverse world full of
imagination,
Being itself with different
sounds and looks,
Grasping the effect of what has
been stated,
Deep inside building with
passion and sensitivity,
Ready to erupt and show beings
its real way of life,
Energetically calling with bright
news,
Light feathered thoughts are
graceful and elegant,
Grim dark thoughts ponder in
your mind and never leave,
Uninvited letters and phrases
secretly slip out and rarely
return.

Owen Tobin

Skating on the ice
With a puck and a long stick
Hockey is my game

Running is my game
I run to beat my best time
Running can be hard 

Linda Essery

INVITATION

If you want to see,
A duck, a mouse,
A tree, a house,
Don’t let your curiosity douse.
Just let your imagination free.
And come to me.
O’ come to me.

Ryan Gossart

AND SAY BEGINS

I am a beam of light
Rushing around the world in a blink o an eye.
Once I tire, I rest in a lantern,
And leave again as a spark.

Across the earth I fly, tickling my friend the water
Playfully bouncing off mirrors and windows, making silly images of those I see.
If I pass through a curve, my focus can be changed
And a prism shows my true colors.
I never wear the same disguise twice
But my essence can’t be changed.

I am the unquenchable fire,
The flame without a source,
I am seen but not touched,
An unstoppable force.

I turn the earth into a jewel every night
My freckles weave a scintillating blanket in the sky for man to sleep under.
I smile at the plants, toddlers reaching up for their parent.
Look into my eyes and you may be blinded,
Or see the truth

With anger I pierce the darkness
I take away the shadows, the lies
And throw spears through deceit.
I see past what is hidden
And the dark admits defeat.

So I shoot out into the sky, as day overturns night
Knowingit is because of me, because I am the light.

Zoe Stublaredc

I am the ocean.
There are many who depend on me,
They accept me and my qualities.
But then, there are those who take advatage of me,For I am one of a kind.
Don’t they understand how important I am?
Honestly, I mean no harm,
But those who use me as a trash bag
Poison me.
They fill me plastic, waste and dirt,
And their actions affect my inhabitants, my surroundings, and their future.
So you must protect me
Because NO ONE can live without me.
Thank you to those who go out of their way to mend what others destroy,
Because I can’t myself,
And for those of you, who don’t understand, just remember
Every action, good and bad, has consequences,
And a pebble in my waters can make a wave.

Chloe French

Listen

Listen to the stream
Listen and you can hear them
The crickets
Strumming their wings
To make music
With the howling winds of dusk
The birds
Chirping their crisp tune of bliss
They sing at dawn
Because it’s another day
Another gift

Watch
Watch the leaves float
On the cool
Clear water
Like boats in a harbor
 And watch the rocks
As the stream rushes
They become smooth

Touch
Touch your skin
 To the frigid water
On a sweltering summers day
The burdens of life
 Lightened
By the tears of Mother Nature

Listen
The night is peaceful
Don’t make a sound
Don’t move a muscle
Silence on the stream
Is golden