Inspired by an Elementary School Student...her Mama Shared the Prompt. Love That Kids are Inventing New Poetic Styles, Too. Thank You, Jessica Wiley.

So, it goes like this: (1) 1st two lines should be 'When I'm by myself/and I close my eyes' (um, I adapted), followed by eight lines that begin with "I'm" and rhyme (I adapted), and the last five lines are "I'm whatever I want to be / An anything I care to be / And when I open my eyes / What I care to be / is me." 

Okay, I adapted, again, but I love the possibility of using this with K-12 student, especially those who are most reluctant to explore poetry. I entitled this "Declaration," but loved that Jennifer Guys Jewett said it reads like a Mantra. 

Okay, then. So, let it be. 

 Mi Mantra

  ~b.r.crandall

embraced with chaos & noise
the eyes stay open.

I’m internally 
joyously
brilliantly
honestly
foolishly
mindfully
victoriously
optimistically

reflecting, choosing, loving, speaking,
acting, thinking, trusting, & living
that’s how I choose to be…
…so, when I close my eyes,
I’ll always know, internally, 

I’ll always be me.