Gulfport resident, Kyra Rollinson, a fourth grade student with a 4.0 grade point average, attended The Magnolia Literacy Project’s (MLP) Spring 2022 Poetry Workshop Series for Young Mississippians. The theme was: “Comparing a Beautiful Creation of Nature to My Mother and/or Grandmother”. Students from various counties in Mississippi participated.
During the workshops, youth in elementary, middle, and high school were engaged in lessons on basic elements of poetry. They received a template to use as a springboard for developing their poems. Afterwards, each youth was asked to select a bright, multi-colored nature sticker from one of three bins – one with flowers, another with birds, and a third one with butterflies. The goals were to choose a sticker that reminded them of their mothers and/or grandmothers and write a poem(s), showing similarities between the sticker’s image(s) and the woman (or women) they wished to honor.
The Spring 2022 Poetry Workshop Series for Young Mississippians was sponsored by The MLP in partnership with the Lincoln County Public Library; Walmart (Flowood and Madison); Angel’s Attic Thrift Store in Brookhaven; Bank of Brookhaven; Boys & Girls Club of Lincoln County; and Blackburn Laboratory Middle School in Jackson.
In Kyra's poem, “A Purple Flower Who Makes Me Feel Safe”, she honors her mother, Michelle Rollinson.
“A Purple Flower Who Makes Me Feel Safe”
Sitting at the park,
I see a beautiful, dark, purple flower.
It reminds me of my mom, Michelle.
The flower has a yellow, round middle.
My two most favorite things about it are
Its pretty petals and shiny, green leaves.
The flower makes me feel happy.
My mom has bright, green eyes.
My two most favorite things about her are
Her bright, red hair and her uniqueness.
She makes me feel safe and at home.
The flower and my mom are alike
Because they both have strong, bright features.