Three Poems by Abby Fisher
Her Love for Africa

Abby is now taking Advanced Placement (AP) English at high school.
She was recently given the assignment to write 12 poems for her class,
composed in these forms: limerick, sonnet, haiku, Tanka, concrete, and free verse.
When she's done, she'll select or draw artwork to accompany each poem.

Here are three completed poems that Marti and I feel are her best, so far.
Each touches on her love for Africa where she grew up.
We hope you enjoy these as much as we do.

Dale


Beginning Poem: "My Intro"

Welcome to my poetry portfolio
Poems and analysis it will show

It contains my thoughts, and though
It is a sample, it lets you know

How my life ebbs and flows
Now look below; here we go.


Free Verse: "A Different Life"

Simplicity marks their virtue
Of relationships not possessions
Nature is their kin
The sun is their clock

Dark is their skin and huts
Red is their dirt and blood
Free and easy place and life
Yet toil marks their days

To love the land you know
The area belongs
To the first and last of generations
Traditions passed orally

Animals roam on the plains
Mountains jut out of the horizon
The Indian Ocean salts the coast
Africa is home.


Haiku: "Plains"

Antelope jumping
Strong claws are the predator
Grass red on the plains


This next poem highlights the baobab tree, native to mainland Africa. To see a custom-made mosaic trivet of a baobab tree that Abby made in July, click here.

Concrete: "The Beautiful Eyesore"

The baobab lies on the plain catching no ones eye,
    the tall branches extended the broad base so dry.
It looks like a tree uprooted flipped over and put back,
    so the top looks like roots, green leaves it does lack.
No shade does it give, no refuge at all,
    its useless being, so thick and so tall.
The people mill around its base,
People often mill around the base of baobab
trees such as this one in Africa.    yet it’s too big to climb,
    the children play beneath it,
    with natural toys they can find.
Few outsiders acknowledge it presence,
    for in photos its simply there,
    nothing majestic in its existence,
    it’s an African beast, yet not that rare.
The beautiful eyesore in the silhouette,
    the large tree an ant from above,
    does nothing for the people, yet the
    baobab Africa does love.

Click to enlarge and
read its caption.  


Take a look at all the March family photo pages:

One from each of the Fisher children; one from Marti and Dale