Brooklyn's Teen Poets

The teenage years are a difficult time, with emotions running high and relationships with the people in your life changing quickly. Poetry is a universal outlet for teens to explore feelings about themselves and their world. While most poems stay tucked away in journals or at the bottom of trash cans, some brave souls are eager to share. Before social media, publication in a school newspaper was one of the most direct ways for a poet to reach their peers. We combed through our Brooklyn High School newspapers for a selection of the very best teen poetry Brooklyn had to offer:

Pam Polkioff, “Ode on a Tomb,”Samuel J. Tilden High School, May 5, 1961.
Pam Polkioff, “Ode on a Tomb,”Samuel J. Tilden High School, May 5, 1961.
Mary Wickman, “Lament,” Fort Hamilton High School, June 6, 1958.
Mary Wickman, “Lament,” Fort Hamilton High School, June 6, 1958.
Katherine Carasso, “No Return,” Girls’ High School, October 28, 1938.
Katherine Carasso, “No Return,” Girls’ High School, October 28, 1938.
Lisa Labonne, “God of Death,” Bushwick High School, June 1974.
Lisa Labonne, “God of Death,” Bushwick High School, June 1974.
Robert Regalbuto, Untitled, Bishop Ford Central High School, December 21, 1967.
Robert Regalbuto, Untitled, Bishop Ford Central High School, December 21, 1967.
Anonymous, “Ode To-(Could It Be We?),” Girls’ High School, March 8, 1939.
Anonymous, “Ode To-(Could It Be We?),” Girls’ High School, March 8, 1939.

Our last poem is a touching tribute to a classmate who lost her life:

Pat Mikaluinas, A tribute to student Ann Langone, Eli Whitney Vocational High School, January 1965.
Pat Mikaluinas, A tribute to student Ann Langone, Eli Whitney Vocational High School, January 1965.

To explore more of our Brooklyn High School Newspaper Collection you can find our collection guide here.

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