Meet this year’s poetry columnist, Emma Martin; returning for a second year to supply you with rhythm and rhyme galore! Emma’s infectious wit and thoughtful mind will be brightening clay again this year as she writes for the beloved poetry column. It’s her fourth year with TPS and her second with clay. Emma is a 17-year-old senior who lives in South Carolina with four sisters (including two at TPS and an identical twin), three dogs, four cats, two turtles, a gerbil, and about 20 fish.
Outside of poetry (her biggest love), Emma enjoys activities like soapmaking, photography, scrapbooking, and cross-stitching. She’s an adept pianist, a science nerd and future neurologist, and a milkshake-lover (“drinkable ice cream!”). She’s an INTJ-T according to the Myers-Briggs system and relates to Nina from The Court of the Stone Children by Eleanor Cameron (“A magical book…though not many people find it.”). Emma can’t choose one favorite school subject; she loves science, English, Spanish, and many more. She has seven classes on her TPS plate this year, but her best-loved class was Belhaven High Scholars, which she took over the last two years. She’ll greatly miss her classmates and teacher from Belhaven this semester.
Emma has written poetry since a young age. When asked what her favorite thing about poetry is, she responded with a quote from Charles Simic: “The secret wish of poetry is to stop time.” Her favorite poet is T. S. Eliot, but The Second Coming by W. B. Yeats takes the spot as her top poem. She especially loves writing on her grandparents’ 100-acre property, covered in Spanish moss. As she herself says: “I don’t know a better place to write poetry.” True to her poetic nature, when asked to describe herself in seven words, she answered, “Out of the darkness, a flower blossoms.”
Emma’s favorite Bible verse is Psalm 119:32: “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” She loves the Psalms because they’re full of beautiful poetry.
Her favorite thing about writing for clay is the freedom to pick any topic within the vast category of poetry. She can challenge herself with something research-heavy, or just pick a topic she’s already knowledgeable about. Although sad that this will be her last year at clay, Emma is excited to let more of TPS’s talented poets get the chance to write for the poetry column and to see where they take it.
Emma’s poetry and lively spirit will keep this column inspired for years to come. As stated in Shel Silverstein’s poem below, she invites you to join her for a monthly dose of laughter or tears through the beautiful art of poetry!
Invitation by Shel Silverstein
If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer…
If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!