November 22, 2020 

Dear TeenInk,

I am a senior in high school . This year we were given options for what english class we wanted to take. With a past in writing music, I have always been interested in creative writing and specifically poetry so I chose to sign up for the class. Throughout my time in school, I never got a lesson on writing freely. Most of the writing throughout my education has been highly structured down to the punctuation and always confined by the walls of an assigned theme. From this class, I have gained confidence in my writing abilities and have grown a lot as a writer within a short period of time. For that reason, I want to share with you a piece of my work.  

The piece I decided to submit is a cleave poem I wrote titled, “Winters Dawn.” The poem is about a couple who finds themselves lost in the snow. The left side of the poem sets the scene; a frozen tundra. The right side of the poem tells the story of the couple camping. 

I was never interested in writing until I started to write songs. I have always loved music and a few years ago I began to write and create my own songs. I developed a love for songwriting and in turn grew an appreciation for poetry. It is that interest that led to me to join creative writing. I hoped it might improve my writing style and teach me new ways to turn my thoughts into musical verses. I will always write songs because the instrumentals inspire me. However, I have a newfound interest in poetry and story writing. 

I hope you enjoy my poem and thank you for reading it. 

-Jaden