RIGHTFULLY UNDERRATED
EMILY LARKINS, CLASS OF 2025
rightfully underrated
give me a chance
they look and me and him and her
and they never give me a chance
when i am the only one left i can sense the disappointment
the sigh
they do not want me and i cannot change myself
no matter how badly i feel the need to
please just try to love me
but
how is it fair to beg people to like me when i don't even like myself
i wouldn’t pick me
they are literally all better than me
she is cooler than me
and he is hotter than me
he is red and she is blue and i am
dark plum
no one wants me
i don't blame them
after all
i am the spicy sweet chili doritos
INTERVIEW WITH THE WRITER
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE WORK YOU CREATED?
EMILY: This was a class assignment to write a poem about food. I believe that poems take you on a journey, and in the beginning, you think the poem is about one thing, but in the end, it’s something else. This is similar to the poems we are reading in Ms. Love's poetry class. It is a new style I haven't seen before. Overall, I was disappointed with Doritos because I don't like the purple ones.
WHAT DID THE CREATIVE PROCESS ENTAIL?
EMILY: I thought of the idea in the shower as all good ideas come, and then I was given a perfect prompt the next day!
WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THIS WORK COMPARED TO YOUR OTHER PIECES?
EMILY: This is the first time that I ever wrote a poem that was unserious or kind of a joke, and there’s something kind of simple about it. It was easy to write something that was not super emotional or stressful and just funny. As opposed to others (emotional poems), this was easy and lighthearted.
WHAT IS ONE THING YOU LOVE ABOUT WRITING?
EMILY: I love how there are unlimited possibilities, and you can do whatever you want. Outside of class, I could pick any topic in the entire world, and it’s kinda fun.
CONTINUE READING
