This month, we introduce you to JAZMIN RAMOS, Assistant Director at The Devine School, Macungie, and a poet! We hope you enjoy this poem and Q&A with Jazmin.

“Starting over”

I swallowed all of my yesterdays picked up my head and walked into today.

by Jazmin Ramos

“I wrote this poem because I think that many times people forget that the beauty of life is each day we wake up we are given a fresh start. A bad day doesn’t last forever, and nothing is permanent. We should appreciate each and every day as a fresh page in the book we call life. “

Q: When/how did you start writing poetry?

A: I started to write poetry when I was in 11th grade. We had an assignment to write a poem on any subject and instantly, as my teacher described the assignment, I began to think up my entire poem in my head. Once I handed in my rough draft my teacher was very impressed and told me that she loved it and that I did not need to make any corrections. She also asked if she could use my poem as an example for future classes. I enjoyed writing so much that I began to write in my free time.

Q: Do you have a favorite poet? If so, why are they your favorite?

A: One of my favorite poets would be Rupi Kaur. I love her style of poetry and the topics that she speaks about such as feminism and staying true to your heritage and who you are.

Q: When/how do you write poetry?

A: I started to incorporate writing poetry into my self-care routine. It’s important that we take care of ourselves mentally and during the pandemic, I felt that it was necessary to focus on doing something I enjoyed. Whenever I find something that inspires me, I take a minute to jot down my initial thoughts and then later go back to write my full thoughts out.

Q: Do you bring poetry into the classroom/center?

A: When I taught, bringing in poetry was one of my favorite things to do; it exposes children to another art form. They would always have a fun time with the rhymes.