Palo Verde senior finds passion, success in writing poetry

Kris Krainock begins a poetry reading in the boardroom of the Sahara West Library.

He starts with a poem that references "The Catcher in the Rye."

He sits in front of a small audience.

There are obscenities placed throughout poems about love, hate and slugs.

"I write a variety of poems because everyone writes about suicide, and life deals with more than that," Krainock says. "I can't limit myself to that."

He reads through a poem about an interview he recently had with a journalist.

Krainock isn't concerned with the men, women, children and teenagers who are listening to him. He isn't concerned with their beliefs and values. He's concerned about reading his poems, and maybe a shameless plug for his book, "Criticisms, Witticisms, & More."

Krainock started off his high school career at Las Vegas Academy, which is known for its arts programs, but now is a senior at Palo Verde High School.

"I was asked to leave," Krainock says. "I was concentrating on my writing and my grades slipped. But I tell people I stabbed a guy, it sounds cooler."

A nonfiction poem about Krainock tells of a schoolyard fight with a kid who had a nail between the fingers of his fist, leaving 12 holes in Krainock's face.

"I hope everyone can see past the fences and relate," Krainock says.

He subconsciously touches the scars.

Krainock intends to continue writing throughout his life, not because he can't do anything else, but because he really doesn't enjoy anything else.

"Everything I write has to be as open and honest as poetry is," he says.

The poetry reading ends with a standing ovation.

Krainock closes with a modest "Thanks."