My Introduction To Poetry

I can remember excelling in English since way back in grade school. My grandmother owned a typewriter and at that young age it appeared more like a toy to me. She, of course, knew of itʼs value and wished for me to learn it as well. This typewriter was the beginning of my love for writing. At that time, I lacked knowledge of poetry but loved to make up rhymes. I even used rhyming to help me remember school tasks and important events. I was the girl changing the songs we jump roped to on the playground. No, Cinderella was not dressed in yella and she didnʼt go to the ball to kiss a fella. But she did wear a gown of white and it fit just right!

My 5th grade class was participating with our local newspaper to run an advertising contest. Each student was assigned a local business and given a short description of it. From there, we were suppose to draw a picture and add a saying to advertise the business. There were to be 3 winners chosen, each receiving a specified savings bond and the privilege of seeing their ad in the local newspaper.

I was sadly disappointed to discover my business was the local shoe shop, Snyderʼs Shoes. Thinking it was going to be difficult, I took my poster board and business description home and started brain storming. The only conclusion from thinking about it that I can distinctly remember is that it was a store that everyone could shop at; all ages, sizes, and gender needed shoes right?

So I started by drawing the outside of the business with happy customers walking in and out of the 2 glass doors. It was a terrible rendition of the actual building and my customers might have been happy, but as stick people they looked terribly starved. After many pages of notebook paper scribbled on, crumpled up and thrown away, I managed to come up with this saying:

“Whether your feet are big, small, skinny or wide,

Snyderʼs Shoes has the shoes to fit your stride.”

Such a small, simple saying I thought and was sure I had no chance of winning. Well, my crude stick people paired with this simple rhyme won me 2nd place, worth a $50 savings bond and my ad in the paper. Excited to win but pissed to find that a savings bond meant I couldnʼt spend my money right away. My teacher at the time suggested I look in the school library for poetry books. I did and the rest is Proser Lish History!