POEM STARTER
Write a poem which uses the scenario of being a fly on the wall.
To be a fly on the wall is to witness something private. Think of a situation in which this eavesdropping would be interesting, and write a poem based on your thoughts.
Heard It On The Wall
My eyes zoom around the kitchen
Taking in all the sights to see
I crawl around to see every angle
Making sure everything is how it should be
That’s when two adults walk into the room
They huddle in the corner and whisper
I can tell they are hiding from their kids
The father whispers something as if to confer
“Have you heard what’s happening?” He said
“Out in Afghanistan?” The mother distressed
“Yes, it’s bad” Father said, his eyes tearful
“I know, it truly is” She digressed
“Bodies scattered, children screaming.”
“Buildings burning, blood pouring.”
“People taking flight on wheels of planes.”
“Taliban hearing the pleas, yet ignoring.”
The fly had heard enough
He took off and flew to the airport
He boarded a box on its way to Afghanistan
He made it, though it was almost cut short
He was off, off to help
He was just a fly, he was small
But he knew he could do it
He had heard it all on the wall
A fly with a heart of gold concerned about people in Afghanistan is original for sure! I love that the fly heard the news and felt compelled to action - a something that most people aren’t tempted to do.
“The fly had heard enough” is a great line and wonderful transition. Really, that whole stanza is good.
Feedback! You start the poem in one POV and end in another. “My eyes zoom” then later, “He was off…” Might help to either make everything “I, my, mine” or stick to third person. Another option is that the narrator is one fly witnessing another fly eavesdropping and ultimately following his heart. Might take a little finagling but it’s possible!
Great poem :)
