×
Grade 10
Poetry
Writing

Matricide: Addressing Climate Change

Maggie Munday Odom

Maggie Munday Odom is a 16-year-old poet and playwright whose work has appeared in and/or been recognized by the Oahu Fringe Festival, the Hawaii Women’s Voices Festival, the Playbuilders Playfestival, and the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. She has performed spoken word poetry in the 2019 Honolulu Biennial and is the 2019 Hawaii State Poetry Out Loud Champion. She believes in using the power of conversation and communication to make the world a better place and applies this belief to both her art and her activism.

i cry more than i used to

but sometimes i can’t cry at all.

i sweat myself to sleep

under foggy blankets of

fear for our future.

my kindness is no longer soft

but hurricanes.

a mother’s pain is

the product of her

sons and daughters;

a hundred mistakes and a

million years of looks

away.

my rivers run with the sins of you,

my children.

so deaf

to my voice

over the sound of your own

greedy

complaints,

death wishes.

so young,

you treat me like

nothing

but the ground

beneath you

yet i am

life

itself.

a mother’s despair

is veins

choked up with nothing

but plastics,

acid tears, and

hopelessness.

how can i teach you to see past

your own palms,

shielding your eyes

from the mess of a

mother you have made me?

From This Resource

by Ola Faleti, 826CHI, with an introduction by Amanda Gorman, Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate of the U.S.

Grades 6–9
Lessons
Poets in Revolt!

by Ola Faleti, 826CHI, with an introduction by Amanda Gorman, Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate of the U.S.

Poetry

The pen is mightier than the sword. In this lesson, students learn there's no better evidence of this than the…

From This Publication

Whether it’s the March For Our Lives, the Youth Climate Strike, or Black Lives Matter, young people are at the frontlines of combating injustice and changing the world. Poets in Revolt! brings together a diversity of student voices from communities across the country as they write to claim a brighter future.

See more Writing at this level

Grades 9–12
Writing
The Achilles Heel

by Salma Khalif, 826 MSP

Poetry

A powerful poem that lifts up Black women.

Grades 9–10
Writing
Where I’m From

by Charles, 826 MSP

Poetry

A student reflects on his life, stemming from the life of his father.

Grades 8–10
Writing
Bryanna & Kayla

by Byanna & Kayla, 826CHI

Memoir
Narrative

Two students across one city bond by writing letters to each other about the people they love most.

Grade 10
Writing
Managing to Find Joy

by Luciana, Grade 10, 826 MSP

Narrative
Persuasive

In this letter from the Essential Words lesson, a sophomore at South High School in Minneapolis gives thanks to Children’s Hospital employees.

Grades 8–10
Writing
Reuben & Giselle

by Reuben & Giselle, 826CHI

Memoir
Narrative

Two students write to each other about where they came from, what they love, and a few mishaps along the way in an exchange of letters.

Grades 8–10
Writing
Christopher & Bryan & Jahir

by Christopher, Bryan, & Jahir, 826CHI

Memoir
Narrative

In an exchange of letters, three students across one city share stories about where they came from and the places that matter most.

Grades 10–11
Writing
Me

by Numan Khan, age 16, 826 Boston

Poetry

A bilingual "I am" poem filled with conviction and courage.

Grades 9–12
Writing
Technology Gives Me a Way In

by Jonas K., 826 National

Narrative
Persuasive

A student explores the paradox of how technology is used amongst teenagers.

Grades 9–12
Writing
Haunting Picture

by Jazlyn Moses, 826 National

Narrative
Persuasive

One student explores their online persona and the lasting importance of conscientious social media practices.

Grades 10–11
Writing
When Mean Girls Attack

by Tammy Fong, 826NYC

Memoir
Narrative

A soccer-filled, feud-fueled memoir.

Grade 10
Writing
She, He, Them

by Savannah, 826NYC

Narrative
Poetry

Using dialogue and detailed description, this poet investigates whose voices are heard and whose voices are left behind when injustice occurs.

Grades 9–12
Writing
What Becomes of the Brokenhearted

by Ryker, 826michigan

Informational
Narrative

Liner notes that showcase the meaning and musicality of the Jimmy Ruffin song “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.”

Grade 10
Writing
Six Poems in Search of My Border

by Jasmine J, 826 Valencia

Poetry

A student reflects on her origins to deconstruct social borders and seize her boundless future.

Grades 9–10
Writing
Dandelion

by Elizabeth W, 826 Valencia

Poetry

Even though we may look different, we remain united with one another.

Grades 10–11
Writing
Excerpt from “My Street”

by Justis Porter, age 16, 826 Boston

Poetry

A neighborhood ode filled with sights and sounds of the poet's street.

Grade 10
Writing
I Will Be a Lifesaver

by Yazmine-Gizelle, 826DC

Poetry

This poem uses a fundamental poetry technique, repetition, to share the writer's future plans.

Grades 9–10
Writing
The Rez Girls Are Powerful!

by Navayah, 826 MSP

Fantasy/SciFi
Narrative

Through redefining a label, a student reclaims a piece of their identity.

Grades 8–10
Writing
Henry & Matthew & Santiago

by Henry, Matthew, & Santiago, 826CHI

Memoir
Narrative

A compilation of letters written by three students across one city filled with thoughts on books, sports, music, family, and musings on Valentine’s Day.

Grades 9–12
Writing
A Glitch in the System

by Soraya, 826NYC

Poetry

This student’s powerful piece reveals the essence of racial injustice.

Grades 8–12
Writing
It Might Not Always Disappear

by Sian Laing

Narrative

When Instagram becomes an unsightly battlefield.

Grade 10
Writing
The Heart of a Dominican / El Corazón de un Dominicano

by Raymond A., Grade 10, 826 Boston

Poetry

A bilingual poem that expresses the love of one's culture and people

Grade 10
Writing
Are You White?

by Isabella, 826NYC

Poetry

This poet rejects judgement based on the color of one’s skin.

Grade 10
Writing
I Can Only Imagine

by Tala, Grade 10, 826 MSP

Narrative
Persuasive

In this letter from the Essential Words lesson, 10th grader Tala asks essential workers what motivates them to keep going during these difficult times, offering her own views on hope for the future.

Grades 7–12
Writing
My Family Interview

by Johnny Vasquez, 826 MSP

Narrative

A family interview reveals a mother's painful past and shines a light on her persistence.

Grade 10
Writing
What Is Freedom?

by Regina, 826LA

Poetry

From the forthcoming anthology, Poets in Revolt!, this poem expresses the realization that a cage is not the only obstacle to a bird's freedom.

Grades 10–11
Writing
Bigger Than You Think

by Sharoya Bracey, 826NYC

Memoir
Narrative

In this memoir, the narrator recounts the struggle of being the bigger person in a very small space.

Grades 9–10
Writing
Retrospect

by Kevin G, 826 Valencia

Narrative

This narrative calls us to see the world through the perspectives of others.

Grade 10
Writing
Black Power

by Anthony, 826DC

Poetry

This poem gives insight to what it's like growing up Black in America.

Grades 9–10
Writing
An Indescribable Place

by Samantha Wint, Grade 9, 826 Valencia

Poetry

This poem uses metaphors and similes to explore many dualities of the narrator's life.

Grades 9–10
Writing
Beat of the Drum

by Aniah, 826 MSP

Poetry

A student is lifted up by the dance of her ancestors.

Grades 9–12
Writing
Giving Shelter

by Steysi Hailee, 826LA

Narrative

A student reflects on a small moment and single sacrifice that transformed her outlook on giving.

Grades 9–12
Writing
Stupid Blue Screen

by Vanessa Ramon-Ibarra, 826DC

Narrative
Poetry

Living in the digital world can create unwanted attachments, as one student laments.

Grade 10
Writing
All Humans Are Equal: A Call for Immigration Reform

by Cindy, 826LA

Informational
Persuasive

A student compellingly argues that immigrants deserve respect and to be free of discrimination.

Grades 10–11
Writing
Sunny Smiles

by Sergio M, 826 Valencia

Narrative
Poetry

A smile isn’t always what it seems.

Grades 8–12
Writing
A Challenge

by Shayne Williams

Narrative

Discover what one student experiences when they tuck their phone away for a whole day.

Grades 8–10
Writing
David & Daniel

by David & Daniel, 826CHI

Memoir
Narrative

In this heartfelt exchange of letters, two students bond over food, videos games, and some scary adventures.

Grades 9–10
Writing
Thoughts Onto Paper

by Pretty S, 826 Valencia

Memoir
Narrative

Glimpse into the mind of a student who considers artistic influences in her life.

Grades 9–11
Writing
Gift of Love

by Samuel Wang, Grade 10, 826NYC

Poetry

A poem about the complexity of love exchanged during the holidays.

Grades 10–11
Writing
In Between

by Joanne H, 826 Valencia

Poetry

In this poem, a student’s experiences in two countries meld together as she seeks out her true home.

Grade 10
Writing
Check, Please!, Drop-Out, and Happy Endings

by Aphra, 826CHI

Informational
Media
Persuasive

A student considers realistic happy endings and the representation of LGBTQIA+ youth through the analysis of two webcomics.

Grades 9–12
Writing
Racial Autobiography

by Bianca Morcho, 826 MSP

Memoir
Narrative

A personal essay that explores the different shades of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Grade 10
Writing
I Write

by Sabrin, 826 MSP

Poetry

The written word is a powerful tool, and this poem shares a few reasons why the author continues to write.

Grades 10–12
Writing
LECCIONES

by Melody Marcano, 826 Boston

Poetry

In this poem, a student reflects on their roots and their desire to grow.

Grade 10
Writing
Woman

by Jahruwach Hamilton, 826NYC

Poetry

In this rousing poem, a student asserts her strength and worth as a woman.