Poetry that's personal

“Nature’s wind against my skin

As I stroll down a path

Strong trees hover over me

In the distance, a birdbath….

With these evocative opening lines, 17-year-old Isabelle Bostic invites readers into a quiet forest and into something deeper.

Her poem, The Fox, unfolds as both a walk through nature and a reflection on vulnerability, inspired in part by the loss of her father when she was 9 years old.

It began as an assignment in English class and turned into something more lasting. This junior at Eastlake North High School recently achieved a milestone many writers only dream of—being published. Her poem was selected to appear in Sparked, a poetry collection by local author Stephen C. Stephens.

“I like the cozy atmosphere of walking on a path in the forest amongst wildlife,” she says. “And I connected with the emotions of something fading.”

That honesty and pathos are what make her poem feel so mature and what caught the attention of Stephen, whose book aims to ignite empathy and imagination. 

But Isabelle’s story doesn’t end with poetry; it’s the beginning of a broader creative journey.

“I’m drawn to visual storytelling,” she says, noting that she’s building the skill set to one day become a video editor or film director. She joined the Interactive Media Class in the high school’s Excel TECC consortium for Career Technical Education.

“I feel the coursework is preparing me well for my future,” she says. “I’m learning about things that will be necessary and important to have on a résumé, like graphic design.”

As National Poetry Month shines a spotlight on writers of all ages this month, Isabelle’s journey is a reminder that creativity doesn’t always follow a set path. Personal feelings on a page can lead to somewhere unexpected, where stories unfold in powerful ways.

Look for these monthly stories to cover topics from grades K-12 in the Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools System. For details, visit WESchools.org. To find out more about National Poetry Month and enjoy the poem-a-day program, go to Poets.org. You can buy the book Sparked on Amazon.