by Lauren Rangel

Here, the sun shines through my window
It's light diffused through my rainbow window film
I feel fine, I shout YOLO
Basking in the warmth of my blankets, the room still
Here, my mind is at ease
Brain cells function without stress disturbance
I feel collected, I feel free
I’m learning to recognize my self-confidence

Here, I blast my music
I release my Grammy Award-winning voices
I feel happy, I’m not going through it
Without a doubt, I’m confident in my choices.

Here, I cry my tears
My feelings throughout the day overcome me
I feel overwhelmed, I have my fears
Until I’m in my room, I can never be free

I get asked why it’s this way
Why I’m cooped up in my room, how it's not healthy
Behind the gates is a small room
That room is a safe space; behind the gates is where it blooms.

Author's Commentary

My room inspired me to write this poem. I feel that when it comes to poems that are about my topics of interest, my words of wisdom flow out like a waterfall. It was an easy process to write about this. I knew the words to use with the help of Grammarly. If the rhyming seems a little confusing, it's an ABAB ABAB ABAB AABB rhyming structure. The theme of my poem speaks about how my room is my safe space, and how I express different emotions in my room without feeling judged. Even though the author of this poem is older, deep down inside, she's a little girl and someone's daughter who is dealing with life problems like any child would react to if someone didn’t accept that she liked playing with Barbie dolls.

Feedback

"I love this poem.  I remember feeling the same way when I was a teenager.  Your room should be the place where you are comfortable enough to sing at the top of your lungs and to process your emotions.  Good work!"

--Jill Ribbeck