I have to write this sonnet for a grade
Not for fame or heartache, for a grade
And if I get an “A” I’ll have it made

I’ve written sonnets sometimes from my pain,
I’ve written them to try to ease that pain
To find the light that often follows rain

I’ve written them while crying in the dark
I’ve sat and written, crying in the dark
But never, never crying for a mark

Sometimes I write to try and find a voice
To give these thoughts I have a real voice
Sometimes I write because I have no choice

But what of verses written for a grade?
Would love, will time, approve the lines I’ve made?