Reflections of a 16 Year Old

By Alyssa Vaughn

Blue Bird

A bird in a cage

Who is lonesome and blue

Eyes cast down

Chirps a sad song for you

Her wings may as well be broken

They never get used

Trapped in her cage

She feels abused

Yes, she’s fed

And sheltered from the rain

And though she is loved

Her soul is in pain

She stares out the window

Aching to fly

Hoping that one day

She will reach the sky

Blue Bird is a poem I found in a collection of writings from high school that I recently discovered stored in a box at my parent’s house. At the time of this writing, I had recently moved to a new school after my mom remarried.  I was struggling to adjust to new friends, a new home environment, a new school and also trying to stay connected to friends that I left behind.  I remember feeling trapped in the sense of not wanting to be in my new place, knowing I was not able to go back to where I came from, and wanting desperately to find my own way and make my own choices.

Writing has always been a way that allows me to express my thoughts and emotions, especially at times when verbalizing them feels too difficult. This poem was written in a creative writing class. Many other assignments in that class allowed me to express what I was feeling and although only the teacher knew the content, being heard and supported by her was a very healing outlet for me.

Another writing style that helped me work through my feelings was keeping a journal at home. I did not necessarily write in it every night, but anytime my emotions felt like they were bubbling up inside of me I found release by writing it all down. Journaling has been a technique I have used many times in my past and will use again in the future without a doubt. Sometimes the journals are full and sometimes there are only a few pages used up, and that is exactly one of the reasons I enjoy journaling. It is a tool that is there for you when you need it, it can be done just about anywhere, you can write whatever you choose, it can be short or long, there is no grade, and there is no right or wrong.