Poetry by Sophie Dutsch-Zdanowicz
Into the Black
Pound in my head, chill in my skin
Rattling breath stuck in my lungs
Into the black
Full moon in full glow, but does not
Shine to where I stand
Into the black
Abandoned street, broken windows
Hustle and bustle of maintown
Muffled by distance and an even louder quiet.
Into the black
Farther, farther down this street
Deeper, deeper, waist up in the dark
Feeling, feeling like snow
The deafening black thickens like a plot
Into the black
Bad Form
Must it be bad form to hit a girl
A girl who has offended you so?
No, it is not bad form to hit her
When she herself has given a blow.
It is bad form to hit anyone
Because then you will stoop to their low.
A Puppet Show by my Magnolia Tree
The curtains still and white at the glass door
But the backyard giant sways just beyond
To the wind like music
Leaves making shadow puppets in a vibrant dance
Putting on a show
On with the show
But in their excitement for expression the
Leaves cluster and tread on each other’s toes
Too many performers onstage
Our magnolia tree is far too large
A Swimming Pool at Dawn
The elements of red spectrum
Seep into the big blue basin
full of water (the sky) as a foretelling
of the sun.
But the moon stays up later
Then it should
For it would
Like to get a whiff
Of the steaming waft and rise of
chemicals, of chlorine
From the swimming pool.
Ode to the Teacher’s Words
The teacher stands still
Quiet voice, quiet words, but deafening meaning
Puts me in mind of Teddy Roosevelt’s quote
“Speak softly and carry a big stick”
She addresses the issue that some
Genuinely couldn’t finish under 2 nights
That she understands
But to those who really didn’t try
Hiding behind flimsy excuses
She recommends them
Some good life advice:
“Consider truly why
They chose an IB English
College Level Honors Course
A willing quest for knowledge
With emphasis on literature
A subject of passion, planning and beauty
If they don’t do their homework”
-In dedication to Mrs. Kaplan, who gave the best verbal smackdown to kids who didn’t finish
their homework in all of teacher history. I am not lying or mocking her whatsoever.
My name is Sophie Dutsch-Zdanowicz. I live in Goleta, CA.
I am studying Hydrology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, with hopes of becoming
a geohydrologist. I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome/ Autism Spectrum Disorder when I was 3.
I have also had a longtime passion for art and literature. I have even written some poetry and
short stories, but was too shy to share it until now.
I am also a proud member of Precious Plastics, an organization concerning the proper recycling
and usage of plastics in an environmentally and socioeconomically responsible manner.
