Hello from Haley. This week for my writing class I had to write a descriptive poem. I chose to write it about the public school in Panama because what’s more sensory overloaded than that? Despite it sounding relatively negative, I don’t regret doing it. I never would’ve learned Spanish without that school. Plus, it made this writing assignment much easier.
The Public School of Pedasi, Panama
I feel
the hot, humid air climbing into every crevice of my body
the uncomfortable desk connected to the chair I’m sitting in
the cold coins in my pocket waiting to be spent on a granola bar at the “tienda”
the heavy weights on my eyelids telling me to drift to sleep.
I see
the dark brown/black-colored hair of all of my classmates
the small group of kids buying chips and soda from the school store
the peeling walls covered in graffiti and dust
the square holes in the concrete walls serving as windows.
I smell
the dusty air that fills this entire school
the bland chicken and rice being fried in the home ed class down the hall
the spicy chips of the person sitting next to me
the faint smell of the humidity before an oncoming rain storm.
I hear
the high-pitched squeaking of the chairs
the loud Panamanian rap music being blasted by an old cell phone
the uneven click, click of the broken fan above me
the happy laughter and yelling in the distance
the whisper of the local girls gossiping about me, the foreigner.
Great descriptors Haley. I could feel, hear, smell and see all those things you wrote about….I visited Pedasi in February. Don’t know if I saw your school or not. We stayed at the Sports Club across from the Policia station.
Sharon