One month ago, Montrose held its very first online Poetry Slam hosted by Jenn Uche ’22 and Maevis Fahey ’21. During the event, the community came together to listen to some well-written poems on the last day of National Poetry Month. It seems that several Montrosians have a secret talent. During the Slam, we watched a bunch of brilliant creatives recite original poems! 

Here is an anthology– which marks the first works exhibited on the Walrus Section of the Looking Glass– of these remarkable poems that were read that afternoon. 

In order of appearance:

NEHA SUNKARA ’21

introvert

Inspired by my past experiences

“Why are you so quiet?”

they ask

while I stand there

filled with

sleep.

“Don’t worry. She’s gotten better.”

they say.

I don’t know

what

to

say.

So what!

If I’m

quiet!

So what!

If I like being 

alone

with a book!

Maybe I’m 

quiet

because you

see me as

quiet.

I am just

LOUD

on the

inside.

7.8 Billion

Inspired the number of people in the world

There are around 7.8 Billion People on this planet.

That’s Eight zeroes!

You and I are 

One

out of 7.8 Billion.

That’s like a dust particle on a golf ball

or even smaller!

But, just because you’re a dust particle

doesn’t mean you don’t matter.

Every single person on this planet

counts towards the 7.8 Billion.

Without you,

we wouldn’t be 7.8 Billion.

We would be 7.8 Billion minus One

and that

makes a huge difference

on 7.8 Billion.

So, we need you.

Every single one of you.

Just like a jigsaw puzzle

needs every single piece

to be completed.

moon child

Inspired by Henry baker’s “The Sunshine Kid”

The Moon child was a little

girl who was never shy.

She walked through her town

waving to her neighbors and yelling “hi.”

She ran through the streets

and played with her friends all day.

Then, the Earth girl showed up

and blocked her way.

The Moon child began

revolving around the Earth girl.

She did whatever the

Earth girl wanted with a sad twirl.

The Earth girl began controlling her

making her do this and that.

But, the Moon child did not

realize that she had become a doormat.

Then, the Sun kid showed up

and made the Earth girl revolve around him.

And, the Moon child felt alone

and her eyes filled with tears to the brim.

But, the Sun kid came back

and told the Moon child

that he had always watched

her and smiled

until the Earth girl

made her dimmer

and now he would

show her how to glimmer.

Finally, the Moon child felt free

as the Sun kid shined his light.

She once again

was bright.

KIM JONES (read by Ms Bakhita Thordorson)

https://vimeo.com/395892405

MRS. MARY CAHILL FARELLA

Hello, New Day

Hello, you new day, you!

Full of disappointments,

For my own good

Like the much-anticipated package that didn’t arrive after all…

I wouldn’t have had the time to deal with it anyway

Full of happy endings,

That at first seemed like giving in

Like getting takeout for dinner… 

When I felt I ought to have provided

Full of fruitful, frustrating, meaningful work

Like what I’d hoped was the “final draft,”

That was really far from it… 

Made better for the edits, 

As is always the maddeningly gratifying case

Full of dreams 

Of how I can freely, fondly give myself away… 

Saving nothing (as if I could)

Diligently doing triage with each child’s urgent request 

Frequenting the well of patience that is never deep enough

Full of thanks 

As the day, and my eyelids, draws to a close

Full with the good cheer of this Examen,

The last clumsy prayer of a long, hard day…

Offered with a smiling heart back to You,

Giver of eyes, heart, and new day itself

All I Need Is Pest Control

Apparently all I need 

To get up on time

Brush my hair 

And teeth

Make my bed

Sweep the floor

Do the laundry

Wipe the counters

And put on earrings

Is Pest Control

You see, not only are they essential

And of great service

These two gentlemen are 

The first houseguests 

We’ve had in almost two months

And their visit has generated much excitement

Children, adult and littles,

Are up by eight

Not usual for these quarantine times

Productivity is high

And smiles bright

As bait traps are checked

And holes are blocked

It’s not as if they are checking the sinks

The beds

The floors

Or the laundry

But I apologize for the mess in the hall

Just the same

In two weeks they will come and check again

I hope the critters are gone…

But I look forward to Pest Control’s return

What God Can Do with a Life

Looking at family photos 

From ten-plus years ago

What a great job I was doing

Though surely I was critical then

It’s amazing

What God can do with a life

Reading Julianne’s ICU post

About losing yet another patient,

23 years young, to COVID-19

When this time the dam breaks

And she can no longer hold back 

The emotion of a lifetime 

It’s amazing

What God can do with a life

Thinking about the brightness

The darkness

Of this time, now

When all our life-giving efforts

Seem to yield only more deaths

But we keep showing up, striving

It’s amazing

What God can do with a life

Celebrating those

Whose will to live is so strong

They survive the virus

And leave the hospital 

Victorious and humbled

Ready to make memories

To look back on in ten years’ time

It’s amazing

What God can do with a life

JULIA LUSTER ’26

The Thunderstorm Army

The stomping rolled in first

Followed by the drummers
Who drummed on our roof

Who drummed on the creek

And left not a centimeter untouched. 

Then, the muskets shot with bright light 

Each time, a growl struck

Each time coming closer.

And then – 

It was here – 

A cannon shot a purple light

Then a rattling boom, 

But then the army marched out,

The muskets went away,

The drummers lingered,

But finally

The army was gone. 

In the field

Have you ever been

To a place where 

There isn’t a tree 

Around for miles? 

Where you can see all the stars

In the night sky?

And where for miles and miles and miles

The only thing you see

Is Grass 

Waving in the wind,

And dirt roads

That look as if

They run from coast to coast

Have you ever been?

Jenn Uche ’22, Opinions and Walrus Editor

22juche@montroseschool.org

Contact our wonderfully talented poets here:

Neha Sunkara ’21, 21nsunkara@montroseschool.org

Ms Thordarson, bthordarson@montroseschool.org

Mrs. Cahill Farella, mcahillfarella@montroseschool.org

Julia Luster ’26, 26jluster@montroseschool.org