Young, Lenora2024-07-162024-07-162024-07https://hdl.handle.net/2152.5/10377The author submitted this entry in the Open Verse Poetry category (Amateur division) for the 2024 On My Own Time (OMOT) Art Show.My inspiration for writing the poem "My Queen" was to model writing elegy poetry for my 7th grade ELA students. My mother had recently passed away and I decided it would be an honorable memory. I didn't have a lot of time to fully process the reality of life without her nor really grieve, because I had a main role in preparing as well as participating in her funeral services, and afterwards, I could not take more time off from work. Writing this poem was very therapeutic for me, and even more so when I read it aloud in class to my students. When I finished reading it, the entire class gave me a standing ovation and many of them (including me) were visibly filled with raw emotions (tears). When they completed their elegy poetry, it was very apparent that my previous moment of transparency had quite a positive influence on their commitment to produce amazing heart-warming poetry!enOpen Verse PoetryOtherDivision A: Amateur