Gifts from Nature - by HaeReen Kang, Eng 101 student

In the middle of the forest of apartment buildings,

there is our tiny garden.

Underneath the dirt, our treasure of patience lies.

Baby potatoes we have put in the belly of Mother Earth,

slowly but surely grew as nature fed them fat.

Coping with the pressure of rocky dirt

they grew even stronger and bigger.

As I gently unveil our precious gems,

they finally reveal their rough skin.

Endless days they withstood,

buried in the dirt, longing to see the sunlight.

I softly pick one up, put it up to my nose,

smell the dusty, lumpy potato.

Filling up my lungs with the days they endured,

I admire the gifts from nature.

Why I chose this poem to share as a strong example:

Simple, clear, descriptive, one-of-a kind word choices. Example: "Underneath the dirt, our treasure of patience lies" and "as nature fed them fat" (not cliched).

Tells a story only HaeReen could tell.

Focuses on one small moment rather than abstractions the reader can't see, smell, taste.