experiencing love and shakespeare

i look a creative writing class my last semester of college and absolutely loved it. i have always been timid when it came to my writing. something has always held me back from fully exploring my passion for it.... perhaps it was the fear of creating duty out of something that i loved. but, if i am being honest, it was probably more due to my deep and intense fear of lack - lack of potential, lack of skill, lack of growth.

so taking a writing class was a big step* and while i am still not sure i am good enough to pursue writing, i appreciated the challenge and encouragement i found.

during the poetry unit, we had to write a sonnet and my professor encouraged us to play with a sonnet that we found accessible, try to mimic its flow, wording, and style. i chose shakespeare's sonnet 18 and while i didn't stick with the theme whatsoever, i forced myself to keep some of his original wording; i made sure to keep the last words of each line the same. it proved to be rather difficult, maintaining the sonnet's form while respecting shakespeares brilliancy, but it was fun.

here is the result (i am cringing right now... i am quite pathetic at sharing, must have been sick the day they taught that in preschool):

Can love be lost if birds invite the day?
If new spring grows beneath the temperate
Breeze and we, with ease, believe even’tual May,
Then surely love can free its heart from grate.
Yet when the birds do sing to dewy shine,
We still know that morn drags on to dark dimmed
Night; and by noon we see our hopes decline
Like warmth that’s withered raw by chill untrimmed.
But though the dark abounds ‘round that which fades,
Still grief withdraws to mend. For winter owes
To spring a hope refreshed, restored while shades
Of cold do fade and careful flowers grow.
    So long as spring returns and birds I see
    So long as hope renews will I leave thee.

*sharing my writing with others proved to be a much bigger step. consequently, i am still not sure i am going to post this...