just a girl

- by Natasha Dumitrash, age 17

like a flower
I grow
and the flower blooms
remember me as a smart one
when they ask about my beauty
answer them with guarantee
never have doubts about me
I was gentle like a white rose
loving like a romance between two
I never questioned others
lived my life with no regrets
I'm strong like a leaf in the tree
holding on through all four seasons




[Editor's note: This poem is the result of an English class project examining local history through literature. After reading poetry, fiction and non-fiction representing various groups who lived in or came to Oregon in the 1700s and 1800s, youth were asked to write a poem from the perspective of someone new or established in the region during that time.]