The poems I wish I’d read.
Writing for OneKid: right now it’s me; someday, maybe, it might be for you.
Magnetize
Let's ride the 9 with Ready to Die magnetized in our mind. We viewed the future approach from darkness to light Through laminated glass Scratches grooved We could run our fingers through:
Spoken film24s
22 lines
They land on Instagram first.
Every poem starts there, written for OneKid. Follow along and the next one will find you.
The poems arrive where you already are
117 poems, each its own small light.
From the first one in September 2024 to now. Tap any of them to read it.
Longer pieces around the poems.
Companion essays on the memories and questions behind the work.
Name Tag: Reunion II
I wrote Reunion the week before mine in a sort of fever-dream state. The way I wrote when I was a teenager: a song on repeat, eyes closed, listening over and over until the words just flowed out of me in a trance. I wrote by hand, in a journal, just like I used to. Then I turned the poem into a longer Substack, my first one. A few kind friends shared my essay anonymously on the Class Reunion Facebook page, and quite a few people ended up reading it. But the thing was, I hadn’t actually attended the reunion yet. Name Tag: Reunion II is what I wrote after I attended 3 days of a remarkable milestone reunion, where I saw old friends, made some new ones, and, as you’ll see in the poem, had a few conversations I won’t soon forget.
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The Highest-Paying Job on Campus
Nearly 30 years ago, as an incoming freshman, I signed up for the highest-paying job on campus. It gave me money, friends, and experiences that still shape how I see the world. But on some days, walking through the Yard as a naive 18-year-old kid, I'd see other freshmen relaxing on the grass on a beautiful fall or spring afternoon, knowing I was on my way to clean upperclassmen's bathrooms. That experience left me with a lot of questions. I've always wanted OneKidReadThis to grow beyond my own poetry. This first essay is a deeper exploration of "Reunion," the poem I published on May 11, 2026.
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Watcher by Alexander James