They say life moves forward. Cool. Good for life.

Mine? Not so much. For a while, it felt like everything had stalled. I was stuck in the cycle; school stress, training, exhaustion, rinse and repeat. My mind was going 100 km/h while my body was waving the white flag. And that feeling, the mix of burnout, pressure, and trying to hold it all together, became the life of the slam poem that I decided to create for this project.

First though, let me explain. 

Why a Slam Poem?

Slam poetry doesn’t ask you to be polished. It asks you to be real. And that’s what I needed this project to be. I wanted to write and show people something that reflected all the parts of my life that feel big, complicated, overwhelming, and the things that keep me grounded through it all.

Things like:

• Climbing
• Rowing
• Skiing, school, music

So that’s what I wrote about. Not just the activities I love, but the mental push and pull that comes with them. And through writing, I started to realize something important: maybe the goal isn’t always about reaching the top. Maybe sometimes, it’s about finding your footing.

Project Breakdown

This wasn’t just a “write something and wing it” type of assignment, which I was happy about. I had a plan, and I stuck to it, which was something that I needed to work on, however, I did it very well in this project. 

Here’s how I made it work:

• Monday class: Outline done.
• Monday night: First two verses done.
• Tuesday class: Halfway through the rough draft.
• Tuesday night: Training. Poem break.
• Wednesday: Full rough draft + feedback.
• Thursday: Final edits woo!

I tracked everything in Things, which helped me stay on top of deadlines and not panic. 

Whale Songs

Okay, I can’t talk about this project without shouting out one of the best in class activities I have EVER done. Writing a hit song for whales with my friend Dylan.  

Here’s the entire poem:

I’m just a whale 

It might start to hail

But im underwater

With my baby daughter

And i got barnacles on my chin

Wish they could go in the bin

Damn they even on my fin

Today i saw a shark

Down here in the dark

Got scared but then I founds

I’m 300 thousand pounds 

Got a powerful tail

I eat shrimp cuz they so frail

Gentle giant

I swear im not defiant 

That’s why people love me

They think im cuddly

Wish i could fly

Up in the sky

But this is what i get

Might as well be happy as of yet

My highlight from this entire project was getting up in front of everyone and performing this. If you know me, you know I’m an introvert, so just imagine me doing high pitched whale noises with a tune, and Dylan rapping this. That’s what writing is all about. Having fun while finding your voice!

What I Learned

This project taught me a lot about writing, about myself, and about how the things I love can both challenge me and keep me steady. Some key takeaways:

• Writing is hard. But writing honestly? Even harder. And even more worth it.
• Planning ahead really helps.
• Writing doesn’t have to be neat to be powerful.

The Poem

Before I show you the poem, I just want to say that I didn’t have to choose a poem. I chose it because it is difficult for me, and I really wanted to show who I am honestly. It was very difficult to write, but here it is nonetheless:

They said life moves forward, but mine felt stuck,

Stuck in the cycle, stuck in the stress,

Sick days piling up. 

My body whispered slow down, but my mind screamed keep up.

Schoolwork got messy, equations blurred together,

And no matter what I did,

How hard I worked

How high I climbed

The grades, the ones that used to rise, 

Kept falling. 

So why do I climb? 

Why do I grab onto plastic holds, 

Press my feet against tiny edges, 

Trust the footholds when I couldn’t trust myself? 

Why do I row? 

Why do I pull against the weight of the water 

When I felt like I was drowning? 

I don’t know. 

Then, somewhere between physics formulas and piano scales,

Between the sweat 

Between the cold 

Between the extending handed back, 

I started to feel it. 

The shift. 

The moment where I learned

The climb that wasn’t just about reaching the top, 

But finding steady ground. 

The stroke that wasn’t just rowing, 

But proof. 

Proof that I could still rise. 

Hands gripping, oars pulling, 

I felt here. 

Not just moving forward,

But going somewhere.

Ideally, med school!

The Writer Behind the Poem

I enjoy writing about the world, both the one I live in, and the ones I explore in books. My favourite things to write are books, essays, and most of all, speeches, because I enjoy public speaking, and sharing my ideas with the world. 

Some of the moments that have shaped me most as a writer have been challenges. When I broke my arm, my Gran (one of my favourite people in the world) helped me learn to write cursive with my non-dominant hand. In Seattle, I had probably my least favourite writing time ever, but after, I realized it was good for me. During the Sweatbox, I learned that writing is not a quick process, reinforcing the saying “there is not shortcut to success” 

My favourite place to write is the front room of my house, in the left chair, with a bowl of chips, and a glass of water. When I look to my right, I see our colour coordinated mini library. When I look ahead, I see cars and people making their way to work, school, sports, and other activities. When I look to my left, I can see the forest, calming me. This is my experience as a writer. 

Final Thought

Even writing this post has helped me find my voice. If you read my past posts, you’ll find that they are a little different than this one. First of all, Ms. Willemse put in our criteria to break patterns for this post and try something new and exciting. I wanted my post to be less professional, and more like you’re actually talking to me.

I am still learning how to find my voice. How to keep climbing, even when I haven’t yet seen the top. If I keep working and writing in different ways, I know I will find a writing style that suites me. 

Thank you for reading! And please let me know, do you like the style of this post, or do you prefer my other ones. Thanks!