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Best Poems Written by Elisha Jackson

Below are the all-time best Elisha Jackson poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

Details | Elisha Jackson Poem

Poem I wrote at the beginning of the school year

We all bathe here in the leaking fluid of the school's belly,
unconcerned by the world, because as far as we're concerned, 
the only thing that matters are the results for a test.

Art is dying
because we are forced to hinder our creativity.
All we are left with when the seven hours are up
are impressions of our former selves.
Works of art that this world can change and indoctrinate.

Life implodes in the palm of my hand
because nothing is essential 
or consequential
when you imprison it in a grade book.

I miss the days
when word and pictures would flow forth
and my mind was free to rest 
instead of worrying when the day may come
that I would need to put the lock-down drills into practice.

Details | Elisha Jackson Poem

Lesbian in the locker room

I'm willing to worship
Any girl that calls me a name other than disgusting 
The world is progressive 
But it has not moved forward 
I turn to face the linoleum, saying,
                                          "Oh the ceiling is looking mighty fine today"
And then they squeal 
                                          "Ew, she's looking at me!"
Report me to the principal if you dare
I dare you to be outed 
And still have to show up to class every day 

I leave the locker room 
Gym shorts and ugly gray t-shirt
Covering up the undeserved shame I feel 
I'm just focused on trying to make the volleyball team 
I'm not worried about how high you're hiking up your shorts 
It doesn't make you look cool 
Oh, and Josh, I talked to him 
He doesn't like you 

I hope your Christian parents 
Can see how you dress when they aren't there to check in the morning 
Putting on mascara that's full of vulgarity 
And misleading phrases 
Your pretty polished faces made middle school living torture 
I should have stayed in the closet
Instead of coming out for you

Details | Elisha Jackson Poem

Doomed Generation

We are the doomed generation
Addiction runs through our veins
The burden of being the generation to solve climate change 
The tumors of self-loathing are embedded in our deepest parts 
We are the doomed generation 

We are the damned generation 
The seas of doubt stir within
The line between good and evil thins
Evil wins out 
We are the damned generation

We are the chosen generation
We were chosen for a reason
A compilation of all our predecessors 
We are the chosen generation

Doomed, damned, and chosen to die 
This is our generation

Details | Elisha Jackson Poem

Lavender Woman

I awoke from a small seed
Born from the sun and earth of humble origins 
Surrounded by others waiting to bloom 
A journey I took,
Through the soil until the sun turned to smile on my face 
My leaves turned upwards

I awoke to see the sprouts around me 
All of us different, 
Yet connected 
In this desert world of turmoil 
Their stems and petals casting dappled light around my figure 
My hands small and capable 
My mind empty and free 
My body curved and green 
My hair bounces in coiled waves of blossoms 

As I grew, 
Buds opening towards the sky 
I learned 
I, a violet bending over the grass 
All kinds of flowers filled the empty land around me 
All of us in this meadow, unburdened by the weight of this world 

As I grew towards the clouds, 
The winds came and blew over 
The only ones left were me and trees swaying in the strong wind
I no longer think of the flowers around me 
I am singular 
A member of my own species 
I have sealed the walls to garden 
I have built up a fence to block out the world 
I know you have to be strong or else you get rained on 
Overgrown by the weeds 
And choked out by the dandelions 

In my adolescence, 
The trees turned new leaves and I became surrounded by colors 
Then the yellows and reds dropped and withered,
Their colors becoming bleak and brown 
Snow covered by stem and the grass in the field 
I have learned that death is another part of life 
Withering and watching 

Springtime has arrived 
Greens and new flowers are bursting forth again 
Little girls in white dresses pluck the flowers 
I don't want to be plucked 
I turn away from their firm hands, 
Roots planted in the ground 

I realized, 
As summer drew near 
That every flower gets plucked at some point 
Like every paper gets drawn on or every cloth gets worn 
I've been alive for many years now 
Will anyone want me? 
If I'm withered and worn and torn 
If my leaves are starting to brown and twist 
I'm fine in my walls 
In my own private garden 
When a flower comes to peace with being un-plucked or untouched, 
They have reached maturity 
I am still not grown 
But I am a lavender girl becoming a lavender woman

Details | Elisha Jackson Poem

I Admire You From Afar

If you are the sun
Then I am the moon
We may be millions of miles apart
The stars echo our joy, if only for a short time
You are praised for your light
I admire you even if I have to hide in darkness 

You are a tapestry 
That paints the picture of beauty
We may be on opposite ends of the room
Doomed the circle each other 
Like the moon circles the sun 
But I will cherish you even if I never tell you how I feel

Details | Elisha Jackson Poem

Orange Blossoms

On a tree
Overcome by the scent of citrus
Sitting on a branch plucking fruit 
With the rhythmic sound of grass below me 
The wind blowing the grass like waves 
Filling the air with musicality 

The blossoms
Yellow and white 
With the possibility to be greater then buds 
Tightly closed but ready to open
Offshoots of the bigger, stronger branch 
I have this quiet moment to myself 
To admire nature at its finest 
Chewing on honeysuckle 

The blossoms are shaped like stars 
Soft and round petals 
But pointy, 
Permeating through the casing they are trapped in 
A star, that when pollinated, grows
Growing into the tangy fruit that we know and love

Details | Elisha Jackson Poem

The Walk Yesterday

Geese are roaming through my neighborhood
Littering every single inch of sidewalk with feathers and poop
Contrast to the perfectly manicured lawns
Of perfectly manicured suburban families 
Too perfect
I feel like I found true happiness on my walk 
Whistling while my strides come paced and measured 

Humans are like bugs the more I look at them under my microscope of criticism
Killing and eating our own 
Wrapping our offspring in the silk of our wombs
Protecting them from dangers to come 
But humans like every other living creature 
Succumb to the elements and the righteous hand of God 

Children are like geese
They squawk and whine 
Complaining about every thing that inconveniences them 
The noises continue until they appreciate the value of silence
The silence before a storm
Or the way everything stops before a flood 

God granted silence for me on my walk 
Quieting the voices of the woman talking on a phone 
Or the screams of children on the playground 
God granted silence for me 
And the trees who were spared from swaying at the whim of a breeze
And silence for the birds getting ready to devour their dinner of worms
In their sharp, hooked beaks

Details | Elisha Jackson Poem

Mom

Your locs are a crown 
I hope you know that 
Don’t ever slick them back
Into the suffocating ponytail that you once wore 
Your voice, soothing like seashells 
Blue like the waves 
That we watch together 
You lay down your barriers 
And I draw near 
You listen to my complaints 
I fear nothing but the times we can’t see each other
Fill up the silence with your words 
Your advice glows sky blue 
After lifting my weight off my chest, 
You guide me to the light
You guide me to where my thoughts can’t hurt me

Details | Elisha Jackson Poem

Boats

My life is a boat
Details obscured 
In dark waters 
Language too complicated to wrap your head around 
Calculations made to sail away
From any conversation 

My words are the hull of this ship 
My brain the captain 
Keeping me afloat 
Until I sink 
The metal bowels break 
Plunging me into the depths below 

My mind is still not understood 
By me or my therapist 
I do mental gymnastics 
Trying to center my navigational system 

Blessed are the ones 
Who can comprehend why they are upset 
Who has the power of Jesus to calm their inner storms
When I feel the winds starting to pull my sails in another direction,
I cry 
When I cry,
Tears run over the deck 
Making it too slippery and unstable to stand on 
I can't take down the sails 
And anchor myself 
My head is barely above water 
I'm treading emptiness while I believe I'm swimming 
My boat is sinking

Details | Elisha Jackson Poem

Female Friends

Lady spiders
Ferocious and venomous 
Twisting webs of lies
Hiding under veiled faces
And fake personas  
Sure they lend you a tampon 
But they never show up when you need them 

They'll compliment your fit 
But they're the first to say "I hate you"
If you don't compliment them 
Preaching sisterhood and feminism 
Will only get you so far my dear
Someday you'll learn that,
Actually,
I don't need you
Your hair dye 
Your emotional baggage 
Or your approval 

I'm fine sitting in the library by myself
Walking to class by myself 
I am solitary and I am singular 
I'll leave you,
So long as I have my sanity intact 
Meet new people 
Cycle of abuse starts again 
Why can't I have nice female friends?