Dawson Pickens
My name is Dawson Pickens. Born and raised in Springfield, Illinois for almost 13 years until I moved up to Oak Park, Illinois, right before 7th grade started. I am one of six children, and I am the 5th out of the six. Ever since 6th grade, I have been on either Straight A Honor Roll, or High Honor Roll in general. This past year, my Junior year at OPRF, I finished both semesters with Straight A’s, which marks it as the first year in my high school career to do so. I am a lover, not a fighter, but if someone hurts a person I love, that is when they will feel my wrath. I do play soccer, I have been playing since I was 3, and it's great. I also like to watch anime, make music (beats not songs with lyrics, although I have been recently experimenting with rapping over instrumentals thanks to Mr. Robinson), write poetry (obviously), watch movies late at night till 4 in the morning, wake up at 1 in the afternoon, and do it all over again (I already know it's not healthy but hey it's the summer! Lighten up a bit).
The impact of poetry and the spoken word club
I have been writing poetry ever since elementary school, with juvenile love poems and poems about nature. As middle school hit and the ever growing problem of dealing with puberty and the new ability to access information in seconds through a smartphone, writing and poetry became even more important to me. As I entered high school, I joined OPRF’s Spoken Word Club. Immediately, I felt a part of a great community where everyone could be themselves without shame through their writing. We’d all celebrate our individual differences and victories, and be there for one another through our struggles and tough times. Mr. Kahn, Mr. Robinson, and Mr. Levin have all taught me how to further my vocabulary, my imagery in writing, my rhyme scheming, the ability to create ghazal’s, how to have a booming voice or a whisper at the right moments, how to be a leader, a co-leader, how to have a good time while still doing hard work, and I think most importantly, how to truly understand myself through writing.
Top favorite poets or lyricists
Favorite Poets: Langston Hughes, Robert Bennett, and Adam Zagajewski
Favorite lyricists: Jermaine Cole, Chancelor Bennett, and Jalen Horton
Writing Prompts
”I can’t wait for the day…”
Write a poem about social media and its impact (good or bad)
Write about being an outcast or about an outcast you know well