Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was an American poet, author, and teacher. Her work often dealt with the personal celebrations and struggles of ordinary people in her community. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry on May 1, 1950, for Annie Allen, making her the first African American to receive a Pulitzer Prize.

“Even if you’re not ready for the day, it cannot always be night” -Gwendolyn Brooks

We Real Cool 

BY GWENDOLYN BROOKS

               The Pool Players.
        Seven at the Golden Shovel.

            We real cool. We   

            Left school. We

            Lurk late. We

            Strike straight. We

            Sing sin. We   

            Thin gin. We

            Jazz June. We   

            Die soon.

In my Junior High/Middle School, I was influenced by the poems of Gwendolyn Brooks and Nikki Giovanni. It was my first exposure to women writing poems. This was the first poem I read. I love the simplicity of it but it’s the last line that struck me.

~Nikki