The opinion article “Lighten Up” by
Alex D. is a breath of fresh air. He ­finally says what I've been thinking for years: most teenage poetry is dark and ­depressing, focusing on how bad and ­hopeless the world is.

He makes a great point that angst is ­indeed an important part of poetry, but that isn't all of it. I agree with Alex 100 percent when he asks teens to try writing humorous pieces. I can't count how many times I've read poems where the author claims people don't understand him/her. Well, we all go through that, but just because it's bad right now doesn't mean it always will be. There is a lot of truth in the saying that the night is darkest just before the dawn.

As a teen, I can see why a lot of teens write about depressing subjects; becoming an adult is hard at times. We're beginning
to be more responsible and can't rely on Mommy and Daddy to fix our problems anymore.

But let's try writing some humor. Maybe if teens start looking at the funny side of life, they'll enjoy it a little more.