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, "Butterfly Beauty", she honors her grandmother, Annette Rollinson.
“Butterfly Beauty”
Sitting at the park,
I see a butterfly with teal and black wings,
Long antennae, and big, black eyes.
It makes me feel cheerful.
The butterfly reminds me of my grandmother, Annette.
She has pretty, grey hair and brown eyes.
She makes me feel happy and loved.
The butterfly and my grandmother are alike
Because they are both patient and beautiful.