Love in All Its Boxes
These next poems were written in 1988 during a college creative writing class. They came from assignments that explored love, relationships, and self-perception: boxed in by love and family. The emotions in them weren’t always personal, but the process asked me to imagine and express emotional complexity with honesty.
At the time, I was writing as a student trying to meet a prompt. Looking back, I see how these exercises tapped into themes that still shape how I write and teach: the weight of family expectations, the uncertainty of identity, and the many ways love shows up—or doesn’t.
These poems have been lightly revised for rhythm and punctuation. They still carry the voice of that younger writer, working through questions of love, connection, and self-worth with whatever tools she had at the time.
Daddy’s Girl
Be home early.
Don’t come in late.
You’re only a sophomore—
Let’s not debate.
You’re not like your brother.
You’re not like your friend.
They may stay out late,
But your night must end.
I’m doing this for your sake.
I hope you’re not mad.
Just try to remember:
It’s hard being a dad.
💬 About this poem: This poem uses rhyming couplets and a conversational tone to convey a father’s concern for his daughter. It likely came from a prompt like “write from someone else’s point of view” or “a conflict in a family dynamic.” The structure is tight and rhythmic, mimicking the way a parent might repeat rules while trying to stay calm and fair. The closing line shifts tone slightly, revealing the emotional labor behind the discipline.
Superlative Mom
You’re an amazing mom,
You’ve stood by me and loved me so.
Always been concerned,
Teaching me all I know.
You’ve helped me through those tough times
That always seem to last.
You’ve told me not to worry:
These times will soon pass.
I think you’re the greatest mom by far.
Thank you so much for being who you are.
💬 About this poem: A poem of appreciation and gratitude, built around rhyming couplets and consistent meter. It may have been written in response to a prompt like “write a praise poem” or “a person who shaped you.” While sentimental, it shows early control of rhythm and tone. The revisions help smooth the phrasing while keeping the original heartfelt spirit.
Boxed Love
A love contained
Or a love restrained
A love confined
Or a love refined
A love consistent
Or a love resistant
Boxed love
Unmoving
Still hoping
💬 About this poem: This is a compact, conceptual poem structured around binary opposites and a three-part build-up that ends in a visual metaphor. The probable prompt was something like “write a poem using repetition” or “explore a metaphor in depth.” The final lines shift from abstract to emotional, grounding the metaphor of “boxed love” in stillness and quiet yearning.
Questions
What am I?
A pawn on a chessboard?
One rock in a million?
A grain of sand on the beach?
No—
I’m the brightest star in the sky,
the beauty in Beauty and the Beast,
a rare shell in the shell.
I’m all this and more on the inside,
and isn’t that what truly counts?
💬 About this poem: This poem is written in free verse with a strong internal logic of self-definition. It may have come from a prompt like “Who am I?” or “Use metaphor to describe yourself.” Though it leans on common images, the rhythm and resolve carry it. The structure—question, rejection, assertion—mirrors the classic poetic move from uncertainty to identity
✏️💭 Mini-Lesson: Writing What You Weren’t Ready to Say
These poems came out of college writing assignments, and while I was writing to meet a prompt, the emotions were still real. I may not have walked into class planning to write about identity, love, or family, but the assignments gave me a reason to explore those parts of myself more honestly than I probably would have otherwise.
That’s one of the things I’ve come to appreciate most about structured writing. Even if it starts with an exercise, it can lead to something lasting. As a writer and a teacher, I’ve seen how a well-placed prompt or a small constraint can open a door you didn’t know needed opening.
🎓 Mini-Lesson Overview
Objective:
Students will explore how writing through assignments can unlock deeper emotional insight, even when the topic isn’t initially personal. They’ll learn to use structure, metaphor, and contrast to express complex feelings with intention.
🧠 Discussion Starter:
Ask: Have you ever written something that surprised you by how honest it felt, even if it started as a school assignment?
Discuss how writing “about” something isn’t always the same as writing “from” it, yet both can reveal truth. How is the title, Boxed in by Love and Family, represented with the selected choices?
📝 Mini-Exercise: Structured Emotion Prompt
Prompt:
Choose one of the following topics: love, family, identity, or loss. Write a short poem that expresses emotion using structure or metaphor.
Guidelines:
- Use a repeated structure (example: every stanza starts with “I am…” or “You said…”).
- Try a pair/contrast format (like “Is it ___ or is it ___?”).
- Focus on what the feeling looks like or sounds like instead of just naming it.
Optional Starter Phrases:
- “A love that…”
- “I am not…”
- “They said I was…”
- “What I never said was…”
📚 Sample Analysis: Use Student Poems as Models
Read one of the poems (like “Boxed Love” or “Daddy’s Girl”) aloud and briefly discuss:
- What structure does the poem use?
- Is the speaker clearly the writer—or could it be imagined?
- What emotion is at the core of the poem?
- How does the form (rhyme, repetition, question) help shape the feeling?
✍️ Wrap-Up Writing Option (Exit Slip):
Write 1–2 sentences about how it felt to write with structure around an emotion.
Was it harder or easier to write when it wasn’t completely personal?
Did the structure help you say something you didn’t expect to say?
🌐 Explore More: Young Writers Project
If you enjoy seeing what student writing can uncover, I highly recommend Young Writers Project.
It’s a nonprofit writing community for teens and young adults that encourages creativity, self-expression, and peer feedback. Students can share poems, stories, and reflections, or respond to weekly prompts. It’s a great reminder that young voices have depth, insight, and power—even when they’re just starting out.
📄 Download the mini-lesson as a printable PDF:
Writing What You Weren’t Ready to Say (PDF)
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