WCLS highlights Blaine teen poets

The 2021 edition of the Whatcom County Library System’s (WCLS) teen poetry publication, A Forest of Words, features Blaine teens.

A Forest of Words, an annual compilation that accepts submissions from teens countywide, was edited by Tamar Clarke, teen services coordinator at WCLS. Despite the pandemic, the 2021 edition received a comparable number of submissions to previous years.

Clarke said the anthology has never set a theme to allow students more creative freedom, but this year’s edition seemed more personal.

“Teens are always really personal, but I feel like this year in particular, we all had a lot of time to spend with ourselves and really examine who we are and what we value,” Clarke said.

Blaine High School junior Pele Thornton’s poem “Mistakes Were Made, Lessons Were Learned” was a reflection on personal growth and relationships with others. Thornton wrote the poem as a way to process her emotions. She’s also been published in previous editions of Forest of Words.

“A Forest of Words has given me a great opportunity to try to get out there,” Thornton said. “I’m glad a bunch of people are trying to publish their own works, to try to be heard, because that’s definitely important.” 

Other students reflected on cultural expectations. Julia Maxey, a Blaine High School junior whose poem “Dress Code” was included in the collection, found inspiration by the double standards girls face at school and how dress codes stifle self-expression.

“In our school, I’m happy that we don’t have uniforms, but I think dress codes target women and it’s pretty toxic for young girls growing up to have to experience that,” Maxey said. “I wanted people to know that dress codes shut doors for people’s personal experiences.”

Maxey said she wants to be an author one day and draws inspiration from every book she reads. The poems and lines that inspire her most are featured on a quote wall in her room. Though Maxey hasn’t added her own poem to the wall yet, she said she plans to frame it.

“It’s always been a dream of mine, so I’m really happy about it,” Maxey said of seeing her poem in print. “My favorite English teacher presented the idea to me, so I’m really glad she showed me that.”

Ninth-grade Lynden Christian High School student Jessica Walters also wrote about societal pressures girls face in the poem “Our Twisted Society.” She began the poem when she was in sixth grade but was inspired to finish it when she heard about A Forest of Words.

“My poem was about the way girls grow up in society today and how we’re told to be and act a certain way, when maybe we just need to rewrite how that stereotype looks,” Walters said.

Walters was excited to see her work in print but also impressed by the work others submitted. She described the finished product as powerful, especially considering the poets are all teenagers like her. 

Providing teenagers a place to share their thoughts and ideas is important, Clarke said.

“Teens have a lot to say and to share,” Clarke said. “A publication like this allows us to do that, to give them each their own page literally and figuratively.”

In addition to publishing A Forest of Words annually, WCLS also hosts a teen writing workshop that Clarke said has helped create a community for teens invested in writing. The WCLS Reader to Reader webpage lets teens recommend books to each other as well, highlighting content that resonates with them.

“The world of young adult literature is so rich right now,” Clarke said. “We have a lot of diversity here at a lot of levels. It’s nice that kids can explore whatever they are curious about through books they can access through our libraries.”

Anyone interested in reading the 2021 edition of A Forest of Words can view the publication on the WCLS website at bit.ly/3yaKGVR or check out a copy from a library branch.