It's always been there,

Whether I've known it or not.

Never had I known that song lyrics were poetry.

Never had I known that poetry held feelings.

That they held meanings.

That they held stories.

That they held relatable moments.

Never had I known until junior high 

When we began to analyze.

At first I hated it.

I dreaded going to English. 

I didn't understand it.

I could't relate.

I couldn't find the poet's hidden meaning.

To me, it was just lines on a page

With no meaning

With no emotion.

After all, it was Shakespeare.

Until the day that my teacher told me they were similar to song lyrics,

Until the day that my teacher told me to write poetry.

From that point on, 

I enjoyed writing.

From that point on,

I wrote.

From that point on,

I expressed my feelings.

I wrote for all of the times that my heart was broken in high school

For all of the times I was stressed

For all of the times I felt like dying

For all of the times that I was overjoyed

For every emotion I had felt in high school.

Because of poetry, I will forever remember high school and how I felt.