Jinyi Zhang's "Chocolate" is a strikingly beautiful poem. I am all about pieces that express feelings and ideas which are unique yet universal, and this one in particular surely hit home. Jinyi's grandfather suffered from a mild loss of hearing –something that made it hard for the two of them to communicate their thoughts to one another – and this was extremely frustrating to say the least.

Though this was Jinyi's own personal experience, many of us have dealt with having a close family member suffer from some type of ailment or handicap that made for issues with communication. This poem uses wonderfully flowing repetition, similes, and metaphors to express the pain of enduring these types of circumstances and the joys of overcoming them.


"Chocolate" is an undoubtedly gorgeous piece that tells a story ranging from harrowing to uplifting in a mere 8 stanzas - a feat that is often a great challenge for young writers to undertake.