A selection of poems from my long-lost journal. Ironic Rain was published in the Spring 1987 issue of Young Poets Quarterly and Oh MLK, Where Have You Gone? finished in 3rd place at the Briarwood-Jamaica Junior Poetry Slam of 1988.
Ironic Rain (aka Rain, Rain, DON’T Go Away)
Rain, rain go away
It’s what all the children say
But if it went away
The flowers wouldn’t grow
And we’d have no rainbows
Maybe it’s the children that should go away?
Oh MLK, Where Have You Gone?
They call my mom Chinese
When they should say Oriental
They say she has dirty knees
How dare they be so judgmental?
Oh MLK, where have you gone?
With heart like gold and skin like fudge
You know judging is only for God
And for juries and a judge
I Got An ‘A’, But I Wanted An ‘I Love You’
Math – it’s graded by letters
History – it’s created by go getters
Science – it makes you cut open a frog
Geography – it tells you where is Prague
Spelling – did I spell this wronng?
Computers – is how they made Donkey Kong
I got an ‘A’ on this poem but I’m still not happy
You didn’t say ‘I Love You’ so I feel so crappy
This page features excerpts from my a diary and journal I kept in the 5th grade of 1985. Thanks for looking.
Tom Oski
Fifth Grade Diary 