Hannah G. Solomon School Poetry

New Solomon Blog!

2008-09-10T19:09:00.001-05:00

As the 2008-2009 school year begins, The Poetry Center has made some exciting changes. One major change is the re-launch of our web site. From there, you may access Solomon's blog of student writing for the new year, and beyond.

Go here for direct access to the new blog! It's now easier than ever to find terrific poetry.

If there's no student work posted yet, be patient...we're just getting underway. Check back soon -- check back often -- and feel free to tell anyone who might be interested all about the Hands on Stanzas program.

Here's looking forward to another productive year with Solomon students!

Last Day of Classes

2008-05-22T16:59:00.017-05:00

Today was the last day of classes at Solomon. What a year it has been! I'd like to thank the teachers who welcomed me into their classrooms (and helped as needed), Solomon administration, and of course, the terrific students who wrote such great poems, and talked avidly and intelligently about the poems we read.

Mrs. Jones, Room 110

Mrs. Goode, Room 119

Mr. Sandlass & Ms. Lasner, Room 122

I Used to Be... Poems

2008-05-08T17:15:00.002-05:00

This week, we read Ted Berrigan's "I Used to Be but Now I Am." In this short poem, he appears to be experimenting with opposites, but as students looked more closely they found some unusual relationships between the words Berrigan chose to compare in his poem. They were then asked to write their own poems, using a structure similar to Berrigan's. Once they began writing, and got into the rhythm of the idea, it was difficult for students to stop!

Ms. Jones, 3rd grade

I used to be outside,
But now I am reading.

I used to be everything,
But now I am one.

I used to be T.V.
But now I am poetry.

I used to be going off,
But now I am staying.

I used to be wired, kired and bired,
But now I am what I am.

I used to be nothing,
But now I am always
Solomon School.

Michelle A.

I used to be a Ghiradelli chocolate,
but now I am a Hershey chocolate.
I used to be Spongebob, but now
I'm Patrick. I used to be a car,
But now I'm a plane. I used
to be a frog, but now I'm bubblegum.
I used to be a tree,
but now I'm a Transformer.

Samir A.

I used to be a cat
but now I am a fish

I used to be a zero
but now I am .2

I used to be
a cat, but now
I am tomatoes

I used to be grass
but now I'm fun

Jacob E.

I used to be really scary
but now I'm really heartwarming,

I used to be a video game addict
but now I'm a refrigerator,

I used to be a Ho Ho
but now I'm a piece of fish,

I used to be a hobo
but now I'm a person named Hilgo Hilga.

Maya G.

I used to be
the earth but
now I'm a person.
I used to be
a hotel, but
now I'm a
motel. I
used to
be a school,
but now I'm
a teacher.
I used to
be a blizzard
but now I'm
a lizard.
I used to be
rich but now I'm
poor. Why!!

Jennifer H.

I used to be mean
But now I am nice

I used to be Dumb
But now I am Smart

I used to be discouraged
But now I am encouraged

I used to be lazy
But now I am energetic

I used to be scared
But now I am Bold

I used to be no one
But now I am Someone

Aleena I.

I used to be a seed,
But now I am a tree.

I used to be the Sears Tower
But now I am Chicago.

I used to be Aleena,
But now I am a chair.

I used to be a chain,
But now I am a red ball.

I used to be a volcano,
But now I am melted rock.

I used to be a star,
But now I am a duck.

I used to be Mr. Dean,
But now I am Solomon School.

Isabella K.

I used to be a pond
But now I'm a river

I used to be bread
But now I'm toast

I used to be letters
But now I'm a poem

I used to be a fish
But now I'm a shark

I used to be lazy
But now I'm active

I used to be a student
But now I'm a teacher

Divya P.

I used to be young and immature,
But now I am older and more mature.

I used to be unintelligent,
But now I am well learned.

I used to be useless
But now I am helpful.

I used to be empty of knowledge,
But now I am full.

Jerry T.

Ms. Goode, 5th grade

I used to be a joker
but now I am boring

I used to be
glue but now I am
super glue

I used to be a
hero but now I
am a villain

I used to be
a staple but now
I am a stapler

I used to be
a kid but now
I am a super kid

I used to be
invisible but now
I am invincible

I used to be
a truck but now
I am a monster truck

I used to be
a ghost but
now I am a
zombie

I used to
be water but
now I am bottled
water

I used to be a
cub but now I
am a bear

Rezwan C.

I used to be a fruit,
now I'm a vegetable.

I used to be annoying,
but now I am not.

I used to have friends,
but now I am hated.

I used to have light thoughts,
now they are torn.

I used to be alive.....
now I am dead.

Liam D.

I used to be a board game,
but now I'm Grand Theft Auto.

I used to have pride,
but now I have regret.

I used to have freedom,
but now I have slavery.

I used to be the unexplainable,
but now I'm the told.

I used to have no sound,
but now I'm the
audible.

I used to be a group,
but now I'm one.

I used to be me,
but now I am I.

I used to be famous,
but now I am the just.

Teksong E.

I used to be the only
But now I am one-in-a-billion.

I used to be Coke
But now I am Pepsi.

I used to be whoever
But now I am whatever.

I used to be uptown
But now I am downtown.

I used to be bored
But now I am excited.

I used to be confident
But now I am shy.

I used to be normal
But now, who knows what's happening.

Edina H.

I used to be a snowy mountain but now
I'm a volcano.

I used to be rich but now I'm
richer ha ha.

I used to be a tree but now I'm
a paper.

I used to be a pitcher now I'm
a catcher.

I used to be an airhead
but now I'm smart.

Brandy K.

I used to be the pink in lemonade
now I am just the lemonade

I used to be inflexible
now I am a rubber band

I used to be the ruler
now I am just a jester

I used to be the crowd
now I am in it

I used to be the world
now I am just part of it

Camila M.

I used to be yogurt,
But now I am ice cream.

I used to be a tree,
But now I am paper.

I used to be the dumby,
But now I am a smarty.

I used to be paper,
But now I am a book.

I used to be not arty,
But now I am arty.

Chanel M.

I used to be something important,
But now I am not.

I used to be a King Cobra,
But now I am a dead leaf.

I used to be a citizen,
But now I am a foreigner.

I used to be clear,
But now I am foggy.

I used to be on the yellow brick path, skipping happily,
But now I am lost in the middle of an ocean.

I used to be free,
But now I am trapped.

I used to see,
But now I am blind.

I used to be running,
But now I am stopping.

Sharon M.

I used to be a nerd now I am a jock.
I used to be good now I am bad.
I used to be geeking now I am cool.
I used to be weak now I am strong.
I used to be normal now I am famous.

Seyi O.

I used to be me
but now I am you

I used to be one
but now I am two

I used to be marker
but now I am blue

I used to be math
but now I am the problem

I used to be ink
but now I am paper

I used to be it
but now I am the

Brenda Q.

I used to be nobody,
now I'm somebody.

I used to be together,
now I'm broken.

I used to be an orange,
now I'm a pear.

I used to be
But now I am

I used to be a peacock,
now I'm an egret.

I used to be a baseball, now
I'm a football.

I used to be a state,
now I'm a country.

I used to be a globe,
now I'm Mars.

I used to be a fish,
now I'm a whale.

I used to be you,
now I'm me.

Marti R.

I used to be an artist
but now I cannot draw.

I used to be a
book but now I'm the page.

I used to be glue
but now I'm tape.

I used to be a computer
but now I'm the website.

I used to be the sun
but now I'm the sky.

I used to be the moon
but now I am the stars.

Stephanie Z.

Permutation / Spare Parts Poems

2008-05-04T21:04:00.004-05:00

Permutation, a variation on cut-up poetry, involves taking a set of words and rearranging them to create a new phrase or poem. Making sense is not a requirement of permutation poetry, but it is a challenge to try. As an example, we read and discussed Brion Gysin's "Rub out the Write Word." We then took Emily Dickinson's poem, "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" and created brand new permutations from its text. Students were asked to use as many words as possible, without adding or duplicating any, and/or changing verb tenses, agreeing that certain words could be left out of their final poems if necessary – thus the subtitle, Spare Parts Poems.

Ms. Jones, 3rd grade

Emily Dickinson
Michelle A.

How livelong dreary to pair of
public one's advertise, Somebody!
I am nobody! Are you?

Untitled
Aleena I.

Nobody are you bog.
Nobody to an admiring frog?
How public to tell...livelong!
How dreary June somebody!?
Don't advertise tell they'd.

Untitled
David L.

Who are you?
A frog.

How dreary
to tell one's name

Don't tell
the long live bog!

Then to be somebody
there's a pair of us.

How public are you?
To an admiring you know!

Nobody to
advertise.

Untitled
Divya P.

To tell one's name. Like frog.
Who are you? I am nobody.
I'm nobody too! Then there's a
pair of us?

Untitled
Daniel S.

I'm somebody,
How dreary – to be Nobody.
Are you a frog?
Are you an admiring Bog?
Then don't tell one's name.
How public the livelong June,
There's a advertise,
You know!
Nobody tell!
They'd pair us too.
Nobody!

Untitled
Mark W.

Nobody are you a no body
Then there's a pair of us
Don't tell anyone
How are you somebody

Frog
Angela Y.

Are you a Frog?
How admiring!
Don't tell Nobody you know...

Ms. Goode, 5th grade

Untitled
Georel A.

I am nobody.
Nobody to be somebody.
How dreary.
To tell public.
Who are you?

Untitled
Dragos B.

To tell you my name.
I'm an no body. Are you
too? To tell you know. Tell us?
Are you one?

I'm you
like a
frog you
know

Nobody who?
Jessica D.

Nobody who? Nobody too!

How public – To tell one's name –

To an admiring Bog!

Are you? – Somebody –

How dreary! – like a Frog

Untitled
Teksong E.

I'm a somebody!
How dreary, to long live!
There's a Frog?
Don't tell!
To a bog.
To know one's name,
you are you.

Nothing
Andres G.

I'm Nobody
How Dreary
Somebody
you don't tell
to public
I'm Nobody

Nobody
Edina H.

Nobody advertise you!
I am who you are.
Long live admiring Somebody
Don't tell, there's a frog!
Dreary June!
Then there's a pair of one's name tell public!
How are us?
To be an Nobody, you know!

Untitled
Keyla J.

Are you dreary?
Then I'm too
you tell Somebody
Livelong Frog
Name Nobody
One's you know
Advertise Somebody
Don't tell June
a pair to be
who of us
Nobody admiring there's
To like the Bog

Untitled
Luis L.

I am nobody? Who you?
Somebody! – you are public...
tell us! You are Somebody!
Tell name...Frog! June!
They admire us? You know!
The livelong – Somebody!

Untitled
Camila M.

Nobody are you?
Too of us
I am a pair
No body there
Who are you –
Then – you know
They tell one's
name Somebody
to be – how dreary –
Like a Bog
livelong public
June to an
admiring – Frog –
don't tell

Untitled
Chanel M.

Are you nobody?
I am Nobody?
How dreary
How public
Like a Frog!

Nobody – Somebody
Aimee P.

You there is?
Us they would?
Frog a bog.
Public tell June.
You! You!
One is name.
To tell, to tell.
Nobody.
Somebody.

Untitled
Rawabi S.

There you are,
Who? Me?
Nobody? What?
Then...why?
Somebody tells me?
No? yes? Is it
June?

Mr. Sandlass, 4th grade

Untitled
Trizia B.

you are who.
Too nobody too
us of pair.
Know you advertise

Bog admiring
name. One's tell to
frog alike

I'm June
Madison B.

I'm June,

Nobody Public!
Frog admiring Bog.
Livelong dreary Somebody,
How they advertise you?
Are you Nobody?
Tell ones pair name –
Don't tell us!
They'd advertise –
Who are you?

Untitled
Sargon D.

I am nobody
are you admiring nobody?
How are you?

Untitled
Elena D.

Nobody's frog likes to
advertise.
Live someone's admiring dreary
public to tell June.
Are you us pair a?
Don't tell know bog!

Untitled
Klea K.

I'm Nobody, Don't tell

How dreary one's name to
tell.

Like a frog too?

The livelong June?

To be Somebody.

How public!

Are you nobody too?

To be bog – you know?

Admiring pair of us?

Untitled
Cindy L.

Are you a frog?

I'm too!

Don't tell!

Advertise somebody

know! You be

nobody then!

A...Frog
Sherme M.

Admiring Somebody...
like a frog to
livelong, to be nobody

To you!
Isis M.

Are you Nobody?
Who am I?
To one – live long –
June
To be Somebody
A frog how dreary
How public like an
admiring Bog!
Don't tell Nobody?
To know there's a
pair of us.

Untitled
Diana P.

I'm nobody. Who? Like a frog...
a bog. June of Dreary, too,
Tell one name. Nobody...you.

Music Poems

2008-04-04T11:52:00.005-05:00

For this week's class, we worked on one of my favorite poetry ideas. First, we read "Two Guitars" by Victor Hernández Cruz and discussed its meaning: who (or what) is talking in the poem, and what are they saying? How does music express emotions, and create images in our minds? Each class room listened to an instrumental song chosen randomly, with students individually making lists of words or phrases describing the music they heard to be used in their poems. Click on the links to hear the songs students heard while composing their poems.

Ms. Jones, 3rd grade

Poems Inspired by “I Knew You Would” by Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey

I was at the beach.
I was dreaming of being in
the desert, playing Guitar
Hero in slow motion, when
dinosaurs in slow motion come
at me, but a jet rocket
saved me, and the engine
stopped working, so we
jumped off onto a hot
air balloon, and that popped,
so we jumped off without
parachutes.
Samir A.

I was sleeping.
I was eating when
I was sleeping.
I was dreaming
about surfing.
Going into the
desert. It was
funny, my dad
and mom were
there. I was
walking in slow
motion. The animals
were singing a
lullaby. Then I
did a Hawaiian dance.
Maya G.

I imagine myself in
Hawaii on a tropical beach.
I'm swimming in slow
motion. I can see coral and
fish under my feet and the
soft sand rub against my
toes as I get out
of the water and leave.
The sand is hot but
feels good.
Devlin H.

I'm at the beach, the gray waves are huge,
pitter patter pitter patter it starts to rain
everything looks so sad. I hear the roaring
waves as I spread my arms out wide. I'm soaking.
Soon the rain stops, everything is damp. I'd rather
be a wave because waves have nothing to worry
about. I decide to make a wish, all of a sudden
I'm pulled into the water. My wish has come
true. I'm now a wave.
Aleena I.

I feel stuck.
I feel sad.
I imagine I'm in Hawaii
playing country songs
in the night, camping, listening to the guitar.
Looking at waves.
I feel very weird.
Asala M.

Weird little bugs singing, dancing,
playing instruments
in a weird valley.
The bugs are having a party
going down slides
rainbow in the sky. The sky turns
dark, mountains falling from the sky.
Ahh this means war,
mountains wearing glasses by the
beach,
put on your shoes, buy them
from the mall,
grenade
BOOM!
Mountains exploded.
Back to the party.
Andrew M.

People dancing
people singing
in the field.
They are wearing wigs
they are singing
on a stage.
There are guitars
they are making moves
with themselves.
People walking
things are getting softer.
Aya S.

The ocean waves
come down on the island.
Over the sand
up to the palm trees.
Sail boats in the distance
under the bright sun.
Led by chariots of surfers
the ocean waves.
Jerry T.

Someone's in Hawaii at
the beach, surfing and
some other person sleeping
and a volcano is about
to erupt. Then the moon
comes out and the volcano
explodes.
Eric W.

Ms. Goode, 5th grade

Poems Inspired by “Cantus In Memory Of Benjamin Britten” by Arvo Pärt

Leaving without someone you love.
Under pressure.
Just heard someone dies.
Death/Dies.
Church's bell rings, stand up.
Crying.
Sadness among your heart.
Depression.
Living all by yourself lonely
Unhappily.
Marylou B.

Light heroes are running...
water pulls back...
dark comes...
magic...falling...
air...dark dragon...
nooo...chorus of bells...
can't reach...
the water...dragon...
no, death...
fading...
more death...
help...dragon...kill
dragon...fading...
black...black...no...
fading...
fading...
fading...
carnage all around...
bubbles...help...
fade...I'm fading...
no......
Liam D.

I'm at a funeral. The music is
sad. No one is glad. Gloomy, boring music.
It's probably the music the witch played,
Sleeping Beauty was so bored she fell a-
sleep! You miss your stop on the
elevator because that music plays &
you fall asleep! Gray music is
bad for you.
Jessica D.

I feel a depression in the world,
as quiet as summer rain at midnight.
The depression gives me a passive feeling,
like an aftermath of a genocide,
where the only thing that you
think of, is walking down a
destroyed street while bodies
are put side by side, while a
gray sky surrounds you.
Teksong E.

Slow, calming, soothing, and relaxing.
It sounds like running water, a sad movie,
elevator music, a wedding, a gloomy, cloudy,
and gray day. I picture a person meditating
in my mind. I'm on hold and the phone music
is on. This is a perfect song for The Titanic.
Edina H.

Sad forms the first of terror.
Blue, the color of your feelings
after someone has died,
depressed because of the tension.
The night is black because
of the funeral. So sad,
the screams of the wife
or child, the sobs of mother.
So sad, so sad.
Camila M.

I feel like the music is
soft and beautiful.
In the beginning
I start
to move my legs and
shoulders.
It feels like something
happening.
At the end it makes me
feel like something is
a louder sound.
I was depressed when
I heard it.
I didn't know
why.
Chanel M.

To be calm there
is also a sad type
of feeling.

When it comes to
summer death streams
are slowing briskly.

I see everything coming to
an end when a leaf is falling from
a tree slowly with
the breeze.
Sharon M.

Clarinet, it makes me
feel afraid, calm, desperate, playing
the soothing notes depends
upon, whether it's gloomy,
or dramatic, depressed, in the
brightness of the funeral, in
the chamber, in the room...
death is up-righted, and
accomplished, in the shadows of
the ceremony.
Marti R.

The sun rises over the mountains,
burning red,
as if a symbol to the near,
known past,
and as the last man stares over the horizon,
sadness envelopes him,
as he remembers,
all that he loved,
as death approaches he kneels,
now he lays,
and the world is peaceful,
peaceful as darkness comes,
and the end comes.
Haris S.

Still filled with a worried feeling
deep inside. A dark day waiting for
something to happen. Deep in thought
trying to let go of the past. A
blank mind sitting there still trying to
think. A tragic day going by slowly,
walking to a cemetery after a
horrible death.
Cristina T.

The Titanic is sinking, the sadness
in people's eyes, the tears coming down.
Look at their faces, they're all so scared,
they can't feel calm.
Stephanie Z.

Mr. Sandlass, 4th grade

Poems Inspired by “DLK” by Deluxe Leisure King

In the 70's
a long walk on the beach
will sooth you, just eat your
Pop Rocks
and wear your Tye-dye shirt.
Jason is surfing with the
puppets,
Austin Powers is there
talking to the guy
and girl while
drinking their beer.
The
tadpoles
are a'
dancing
the night is a' wasting.
Madison B.

The frog and
his guitar. He played
a crazy weird song
with his band. Every
body thought it was
funny.
Kayla H.

The Beatles riding their bikes.
In the sun.
playing guitars, playing drums.
Look like angels, yet look goofy.
Don't have choruses but play loud.
Sometimes play rock.
They play the bass, and the piano.
Sometimes play oldies and they
are oldies.
So technically they play themselves.
Klea K.

I go to parties
I feed my bananas
I feed my monkey
I feed my birthdays
I feed my bodies
I feed my basketball
I feed my hot dogs
I feed my two guitars
I feed my drums
I feed my lots of music
I feed my dogs
George L.

One way to travel
is to ride a bike or
a car. You could go to
the desert pool, or park.
Traveling is an
adventure. Have fun when
you're somewhere
else. I think of traveling
when I hear this song.
Cindy L.

in the country good
things are happening.
It's summer and kids
are riding their bikes
and people are enjoying
a back yard picnic. The
teens are going to
a night club and
the kids are going to
see a movie. Everyone
is happy this summer.
Kaelin M.

As the surfer shoots the basket
he hits the shot, then he
kicks the ball in for the
field goal. He quickly grabs
his Gatorade and sprays himself,
so wet he looks like he just
got out of the shower.
Toni S.

I hear music from a party.
It sounds so weird but funny, it
makes me want to scream. It can
relax me and make an angel come from
the soul. Even though it sounds childish,
I can play all day to it.
Vivian T.

I want to travel to
unknown worlds like the heavens
silence and peace
the stars are glooming in the sky
a book I will write of worlds
unknown
a boat I will travel on the sea
with my hamster to
unknown worlds beyond the mountains
and seas of the Earth.
Darius V.

European Assembly

2008-03-27T14:10:00.008-05:00

Today was Solomon's European assembly. Students celebrated diversity and culture through music and poetry!

3rd graders from Mrs. Jones' class (Jerry, Michelle and Maya) read poems by Ana Blandiana ("We Should"), Antonio Machado ("Has My Heart Gone to Sleep?"), and Robert Desnos ("The Ant).

4th graders from Mr. Sandlass' class (Sam, Vivian and Cynthia) read poems by Fernando Pessoa ("Countless lives inhabit us"), Georg Trakl ("The Sun"), and Kristiina Ehin ("Queen Bee").

5th graders from Mrs. Goode's class (Edina, Rhys and Ruben) read poems by Vladimir Vysotsky ("Song About a Friend"), Dylan Thomas ("The Hunchback in the Park"), and William Butler Yeats ("The Wild Swans at Coole").

Congratulations to all the students -- they did a terrific job!

European Poems

2008-03-24T00:42:00.002-05:00

This week was somewhat unusual. Students were given a period to do free writing, while the teachers and I discussed options for poems to be read by students during Solomon's upcoming European cultural assembly.

I enjoyed this opportunity to reacquaint myself with well-known favorites, such as Lewis Carroll (England); Robert Desnos (France); Antonio Machado (Spain); Rainer Maria Rilke (Germany); Percy Bysshe Shelley (England); Dylan Thomas (Wales); Georg Trakl (Austria); Tomas Tranströmer (Sweden); W. B. Yeats (Ireland); Adam Zagajewski (Poland); and more so, to familiarize myself with many new voices, such as Ana Blandiana (Romania); Kristiina Ehin (Estonia); Fernando Pessoa (Portugal); Vladimir Vysotsky (Russia); and Dane Zajc (Slovenia).

Poems chosen for reading will be the subject of the next post.

Time Poems

2008-03-07T18:00:00.003-06:00

Since this upcoming weekend marks the start of daylight savings time, I brought in Joyce Sutphen's wonderful poem, "Book of Hours." She describes five hours she would 'keep' in a book, if she could control time. We discussed how even an hour can be very important in an average day, full of surprises, challenges and revelations. Students were then asked to write their own time poems on a variety of themes -- such as if they were time travelers, could stop time, and so on. Here are some of their amazing responses!

Ms. Jones, 3rd grade

Lively Days
Krista C.

Days have gone by,
very special days,
like the day I was born,
the feel of everyone touching me,
their skin felt like velvet,
the sun glowing bright,
and people say babies are a
delight,
but only children can be
a delight.

If I Had the Power
Aleena I.

If I had the power to go back in time
I would meet the man who made a clock
and I would tell him about now. If I had
the power to go into the future I would
see if my best friends are still my best
friends. If I had the power to change today
I wouldn't.

The Darkness of Time
David L.

The darkness of time
is dark
and scary.

The darkness of time
makes a shadow
in the dark.

The darkness of time
is the
shadow of the day.

Ms. Goode, 5th grade

Time Through the Years
Liam D.

Time.....oh time. Time through
the years. Eating a burger....
yum. Then, I am on the beach,
playing in the soft, warm sand.
This is my time. Everything's fine.
Then, everything goes black.

If I Could Control Time
Teksong E.

If I could control time,
I would change every mishap in my life,
I would stop the JFK assassination,
I would stop the Chinese syndrome,
I would stop time and walk
on water like it was ice,
and especially, I would
make sure Teletubbies
was never made into a
TV show.

Time Rewind
Camila M.

If I could stop time
I would never have said
that horrible word “shut up”
slapped me, myself. I caught
myself saying it so rude.

I see the time slowly
rewinding going back to
the time I lost my dog
my screaming, crying, and
dreadful night, but then
the feeling of awakening
with my dog's nose in
my face, all that GONE!

I go back when I was
a tad little girl and remember
my parents in the living room
my dad drinking coffee and
my mom, some tea. The strong
smell of my mom's perfume, of Versace,
and the smell of plastics from
the medical equipment
after my dad coming home. Then I
remember how fun those times
were, how much I cherish them.

Spring Day
Chanel M.

On March 9th the
time changes
to an hour early.

Spring comes the
same day and
the sun gets
brighter and brighter.

Day after day
sun brighter
and bigger
just the
sun everyday.

Time Machine
Marti R.

I like to travel, back in
time, to the time of
pirates, rats, rubies, and gold,
and snatch a diamond,
under a pirate's nose, and
fight and fought, in the
Civil War, and shake hands
with George Washington, and be
a servant, for King Tut, and
fly on a pterodactyl, in
prehistoric times, and
dance, on the disco floor,
and sing along with
Elvis, I'd love to do all
that, but I haven't invented
a time machine yet.

I Remember
Cristina T.

I remember my birthday,
my face stuffed in a
pink cake. Pink frosting
still in my ear. Leaves
falling. Presents, cardboard
soaring. Good times, good times.

Friday the 13th
a ladder falling
on my leg. A cat
scratching my arm.
Salt stuck in my
eye. Bad times, very
bad times.

Mr. Sandlass, 4th grade

If I Were the Ruler of Time
Stephen D.

If I were the ruler of time,
I'd stop the clock.
No one would grow older
and no one would ever get younger.

If I could freeze I would
freeze everyone except me.
It would be fun to look at
all the frozen people.

If I could time travel,
you know, I would go back to
1985-86
to watch the Bears win the
Super Bowl.

The Time Machine
Sargon D.

Toni and I made a time
machine, although it worked
it took too long. So we went
back to 500 B.C. We saw cavemen
drawing on walls. They attacked us
so we went to the future.
Toni saw a flying car and took
it. It was a Viper!! Then I got a
flying Corvette. We saw robot
cops beating up humans, we got
scared. So we went to the present
time. Eric asks what we are
doing.

Using our imagination.

My Time
Kayla H.

From the crib
when I was a baby,
to the bed
that I'm in now,
so many things went by
like the time I learned to walk
and the time I learned to talk
my life goes so fast.
Everything is different now
I wish it was back when I was born.

Untitled (Time Poem)
Jorge L.

A time is clocking, sound and rung sound.
A clock is a tink-tonk sound and normal one.
An alarm clock is a brrrrring sound and loud.
Time travel is a fast fast travel.

Untitled (Time Poem)
Phuong N.

I want to go back in time
to see my great great grandfather.

He drew really nice and I draw like
him too. I want to ask him how

it is in the old times. Is it
happy in the old times?

The Memory
Toni S.

When I was 3 it was the
worst memory, the Iraq war.
It was guns, and cannons and
battleships and the war had just
started because of oil. Do you
think this was a good idea, a
war just for oil? Not me....

Picture Poems

2008-02-29T14:05:00.031-06:00

Kenneth Patchen is an American original: poet, dramatist, fiction writer, proto-Beat, and multi-media artist. His picture poems were the subject of this week's classes. Students read a short illustrated poem from one of Patchen's books, and then looked at and discussed other picture poems in color and black & white for inspiration. They were then asked to create decorated poems on any theme they chose. Click on the images for larger views.

Imagism, Minimalism, Objectivism, Haiku

2008-02-22T14:25:00.000-06:00

This week, we read three poems by 18th century Japanese poet and painter, Yosa Buson: "Coolness," "Early Summer Rain," and "Sparrow Singing." Then we looked at William Carlos Williams' classic minimalist poem, "The Red Wheelbarrow." Students were asked what these four poems had in common, and in what ways were they different? Some were familiar with haiku, but instead of sticking with the traditional haiku syllabic formula, students were encouraged to write poems that created a simple, but evocative image in the mind of the reader, in three lines with no more than five words per line.

There were many terrific responses to this idea -- here's a selection.

Ms. Jones, 3rd grade

The Forest
Devlin H.

The forest –
knocked down for the house
of the future village.

Wind
Jennifer H.

the wind pushes
the paper where
did the wind come from?

The Rock
Racquel K.

The rock
knows nothing
it has no brain

Toys
Andrew M.

Toys –
they're playing
in stillness

Bird Singing
Asala M.

the bird singing
peep peep peep twee twee
the cool bird singing

The Skateboarder
Alex P.

the skateboarder
the skateboarder
went down the hill

The Wind
Jerry T.

The wind blows
it takes the river
with it.

The Zoo
Eric W.

At the zoo I see
a panda, a panda
that is eating bamboo.

School
Angela Y.

School –
it's always a long day
at school. Yawn.

Ms. Goode, 5th grade

Dog
MaryLou B.

Dog sitting on a
log silent, quiet
cricket, cricket, cricket

The Wolf
Alex B.

Woooooo!
The howl of the wolf
bouncing off the hill tops.

Waves Crashing
Sang H.

Crashing wave
hurting the beach
sand.

Hail
Keyla J.

hail –
hard little
hail falling

Caves
Brandy K.

it's dark in there
sounds echo loud
louder it gets

Lonely Life
Luis L.

Lonely life –
moves along, everything
never noticed

Nature
Long L.

Animals on
the African
plains.

Flower
Camila M.

swish! I hear the trees,
a popping from flowers
the day is blue, happy

Sand
Sharon M.

Sand –
in tiny pieces
they know everything.

Apple
Yusra M.

red,
nasty,
healthy, that's why it's nasty.

Not Named Poem #3
Aimee P.

Friends.
Fragile and sweet.
Forever here or gone.

Ugly Pink Folder
Brenda Q.

Ugly pink folder –
papers fall out
and hit the floor.

Paw Prints in the Snow
Marti R.

The breath of
the wintry wolf –
paw prints witnessing...

Dog Groomer
Cristina T.

Dog groomer –
hair falling, comb in hand,
panting on his stool crying.

Stupid Owl!
Ruben V.

I wake up
and I hear
the stupid owl.

Nature
Stephanie Z.

Wind blowing
thunder booming,
lightning shocking.

Mr. Sandlass, 4th grade

Floor Scrape
Madison B.

Nobody helps it
Nobody notices it
Nobody thinks about it

Yoda's Popcorn
Stephen D.

Buttery and purple,
no one eats it
except Yoda.

Summer Waterfall
Danyel H.

Summer waterfall
fresh and relaxing air
colorful fish at the bottom

The Road
Klea K.

The road was silent.
Yet never crossed a path.
Road still silent.

The Still Tree
Cindy L.

The still tree
will not move for anything
only wind, will move him.

Dog and Snow
Khang N.

snow's falling all day
into the dog's
sloppy face

Singing Bird
Milad Q.

The bird sings its soft
voice its voice is as
soft as a leaf falling

Attacking the Hoop
Toni S.

The hoop is the target
of many players.
The hoop is the bullseye.

Rain
Yara S.

Rain, I see you everyday
you drop like money
I want to catch you.

Black Bear
Sam S.

The black bear –
sitting alone
by the waterfall

The Word Happy
Darius V.

The word Happy
brings joy, it also
beats anger.

Love Poems

2008-02-15T12:31:00.002-06:00

This week's class fell on Valentine's Day. After reading W. H. Auden's "If I Could Tell You," we discussed the poem's unique form, as well as what it might mean. The theme of love is common in poetry; however, Solomon students were asked to write poems about something, rather than someone they love.

Ms. Jones, 3rd grade

Crab
Griffin B.

You taste good but a little fishy.
You are tasty in butter but a little
fishy. You are good but a little
fishy. Crab, you are divine
but a little fishy.

Love Potion
Jacob E.

Drink this, you
love it. What is
it? Love potion.
Wow! Drink it,
come drink it.
OK. I love this
cup. Uh oh, I put
love potion in it.
I thought I tricked
him! Double uh oh!

If I Had Dog Language
Isabella K.

If I had dog language,
I would say, Woof! Woof! Woof!
That means, “Hi how you doing?”
Woof! Woof! Woof!
That means, “I love my dog.”
Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!
That means, “What's your name?”
Woof! Woof! Woof!
That means, “The floor stinks like
you, but I still love you.”
Woof! Woof! Woof!
means, take a five week bath.

My Music
Andrena M.

My music is great, I
listen to it all the
time. I listen to rock,
and punk rock. I love
to listen to it. My
favorite song is “Dance
Dance,” it makes me
tired and it is kinda
loud, but I get
used to it.

Saturday Morning
Divya P.

When I wake up in the morning,
I look at the calendar, find
the 9th. Yaaaaaaaay! It's Saturday.
The pajamas stay on all day.
I just love Saturday. I look
at the calendar just to make
sure. It's a four-day weekend.
That's even better. I can
do whatever I want.
Saturday rocks. Do you have
an idea of what I should
do?

Ms. Goode, 5th grade

Love of Legos
Kush G.

Legos are sweet, but not
that spicy. I love to build all
that there is.

They are bricks like
real bricks. Fun to play and love
to pieces.

They are tiny but not
that tiny. They are sweet and
sound unlike anything else.

I love Legos, they are
really fun. I will be with them
till I am through.

Caesar the Dog
Andres G.

All black and curly, cute and small,
shaped like a heart when sleeping,
quiet and calm. Cute eyes, small
body, that's my dog, Caesar.

I Love Summer Vacation
Sang H.

A break from school.
No homework, now
that's the best
part of all.
I'll get to cool off
in the pool.
Relaxing in the
shade. And did
I mention no
school?

Weekends
Seyi O.

I love weekends because I can play my
video games. I love no school. Sometimes go
to my friend's house. I can bake cookies and
I have a lot of fun. I love the weekends a lot.

The Piano
Sammy R.

I like to play the piano.
I move my fingers onto
the keys.

I like my piano teacher, Ms. Rollin.
She is so cute!

I like the program.
It is a fun place to visit.

I like playing “Hot Cross Buns.”
Also, the tunes of “Yankee Doodle,”
“Black Birds” and “Black Ants.”

I like how my fingers twist
as the music plays.

I Like Paper
Jeremy S.

When you see a paper
it's blank, it's uncivilized.
But with the pencil you
could see your imagination
come to life, see things
that every person can see.
To create things, discover,
that's what paper is
all about.

Mr. Sandlass, 4th grade

Cookies
Sargon D.

I love cookies
they are really
sweet.

You mock me
while I see
you because
I have to
let you sit
out a bit,

you are
just saying
in my mind,
“Get me out
of here.”

You are
my favorite

too bad
I ate
you.

SweeTarts
Klea K.

SweeTarts, I love you.
You help me out when I'm troubled.
One of you and I'm in your world.
You're sour and sweet, you make me
complete. SweeTarts, SweeTarts, I love
you so true, now here's a big, wet
tunnel just for you! SweeTarts, SweeTarts,
why are you so sour? You're supposed to
be sweet but you give me some
power!

Chocolate
Sherme M.

Brown, hard,
sweet, sugary,
with milk, almonds,
or just plain.
Dark and light,
maybe crunchy.
Just one bite
and I will
be pleased.

Bunny
Milad Q.

I love you, bunny, you don't know how
much. Your fur, it smells as sweet as violets.
Your fur is as soft as jelly. That is why
I love you. You don't forget you're a cute animal,
bunny. I miss you.

L-e-t-t-e-r P-o-e-m-s

2008-02-07T17:38:00.000-06:00

This week, we read two short letter poems: "Letter," from "Lennox Avenue Mural" by Langston Hughes, and "Dear Joanne" by Lew Welch. Students discussed what was similar, as well as different in each poem, and what makes them unique from other forms of poetry. They then wrote their own letter poems.

Here are a few of the best from each class.

Ms. Jones, 3rd grade

Dear Papa,

Thanks for taking care of me.
Thanks for buying me whatever I want.
Thanks for schooling me to be smart.

Anton

Dear Papa,

You have taught me everything
so I owe you thanks
I believe in you in all my
heart but I know you
feel sick so I hope you
get well

love as always your daughter,
Allison

Dear Talkative Me 100 Years From Now,

I'm talking too much I need help,
I need medicine,
I'm talking like a toad,
I'm talking too much,
I need to go to the
Talkative Emergency Room,
HELP ME
Sincerely,
Maya 100 Years Before

Dear Snowstorm,

Why didn't you last till Saturday
morning? We could have had no school
Thursday to Friday. I'm mad at you, I
actually HHAATTTE!!! you, I could have
loved you 'cause I could have had a
six day weekend because the teachers
said, “If it snows like this tonight there
is no school and for Monday and Tuesday
no school because Monday is President's
Day and Tuesday is Lincoln's B-day."

Love wait cross that
out Hate,
Andrew M.

Ms. Goode, 5th grade

Dear Brain,

How come you won't work with me
anymore? This poem is supposed to be exciting.
And, yet, it is sooo boring. There is nothing in
my brain. It's empty and air is going through. My
mind is empty, thanks to you. This is a complaint
letter, I want a letter back.

Thank you,
Edina

Dear All Chefs Who Cook Snails,

This is a very important
notice to all chefs who
cook snails. We come in
peace but this torture
has gone too far.
We order you to stop
killing our citizens
this instant
or expect an invasion
that shall go
forever in history
which shall end when
humans are wiped out.

Sincerely,
Snail Association of Protection Agency
(S.A.P.A.) [Yixuan]

Dear Dad,

I just wanted to say
thank you for all
the things you did.

Now I can ride
a two-wheeler, thanks
to you I don't slip,
fall, or hurt my
self.

I can do lots and
lots of things now.

Thank you!

Your daughter,
Chanel

Dear Pencil,

This poem can't write itself.
I can't think of anything to
write, help me out here. Pencils
are supposed to write not
just sit there.

Yusra M.

Dear Heather,

Heather, you are like a pot of
water. If I tell you something, you
never spill. You have spots, like a
summer moon. You have a beautiful,
long tail, like a sea snake. I
will see you, only on the days
that end in Y.

Sincerely, Marti R.

Mr. Sandlass, 4th grade

Dear Monica,

I am very tired. I played outside,
shoveled, did my homework and that's
it. What did you do? Right now I
want to read a super long
chapter book. I'm in a mood to
read. Today the snow was up to
my ankles, yesterday it was up to my
knees. The snow from yesterday turned
to ice and more snow fell so
it is now up to my ankles. See
you very soon!

Cynthia

Dear Lyna,

I said you're the best. You're
as nice as a fresh strawberry picked
from a great bush. The best friend
to help learn a language.
You help me, I help you.
You come late, I come early.
I come late, you're already there.
I tell you you're the best.

Vivian T.

Dear Me,

When you find this letter you might
be any age, walking out in your yard
with your son or grandson. Maybe
your son brought a shovel or just his hands
and he will dig and find this letter. You might have
forgotten this letter you wrote. Your son will say,
“Daddy, what's that?” and you will laugh and
you will read this poem to him.

from
Darius V.

Dear Teletubbies,

How's the weather there? It's winter here.
The ducks are flying south now. Wow it's raining
ducks. Literally, it's hunting season here. Is pretty
dangerous weather to be out there with gunshots
and ducks falling from the sky. I gotta go
catch a duck before they're all gone. Wish
me luck.
Sincerely,
Jason

Memory Poems

2008-02-03T19:30:00.000-06:00

Memory is a powerful motivator in poetry, and Philip Levine one of poetry's most ardent proponents of remembering. Students read and discussed his lovely poem, "Starlight," then wrote memory poems of their own.

Ms. Jones, 3rd grade

The Funeral
Krista C.

My older cousin, dead.
I may not see him again,
the sickness in his eye,
he feels so sad,
the sadness in his eyes.
He feels no one is there.
We love him very much.
We still miss him, of course,
but the worst memory
is the dead body of him.
I'm thinking his body arose
to heaven, feeling good. He is
fun to play with. I miss
him very much.

Birthday...Birthday, My Birthday
Jennifer H.

I love my birthday. I was
turning six. My cake looks so
yummy. No-o-o! My cousin put
frosting on my hair. So I
put frosting on his forehead.
My aunt gave me $100
for my birthday. I was
running around for it. I
love birthdays.

All the Memories
Andrena M.

All of the memories
passed by so fast.
Like when the
student teacher
left the school,
or when I went
to Disney World
when I was four
years old. Also
that my family
celebrated my
second birthday.
All these
memories
are so great.
It's great
that my
memories are
from the past.

Sssnake!
Daniel S.

As the yellow
heavy long python
wrapped around my neck,
as scared as I
can be,
I stood still.
The snake with its flicking tongue
staring at me.
I wriggled in fear.
My fears overtook me.
It tried to dig into my skin
to slurp my blood like juice.
As the camera took my picture,
as scared as I can be,
never this fierce
has my fear overtaken me.

Wisconsin Dells
Angela Y.

When I get in the water
I start to splash and
I get wet. Then I go for
a big splash. After that,
I like to cuddle with the
towel and sleep.

Mr. Sandlass, 4th grade

Pokagon State Park
Stephen D.

As soon as I got to Pokagon State Park
I went down the quarter-mile tobaggon run.
It was so scary, I was screaming louder
than anyone. After that, I got ice cream
and root beer.

The next day, we went cross-country skiing.
I fell down eight times and lost my skis seven times.
Then I went on the toboggan run four times. It
was still very scary. The next day, we hit the
road.

My Birthday!!
Kayla H.

I got many presents
and there was many friends.
I was turning eight
and I had a strawberry cake.
It was the best
and I forgot the rest.

Niagara Falls
Sherme M.

It was far away
but I got there
just in one car
with a lot of excited
people. The visit was
fun but the drive
was boring.
It was very very beautiful
in front of blue
gleaming water which
was such a beautiful sight.

Untitled (Memory Poem)
Diana P.

One day I went to school.
I was in second grade.
Then my teacher came.
I met new friends.
It was a day. Then
I had report
cards. My class went
on field trips. End of the
year, I
was a great student.

B-day Was Weird
Vivian T.

When I was a little girl I had
a birthday. I got a tea
set my mom got me.
Later then I lost it. I
was afraid my mom
will yell at me.
Turned out my mom
put it in the toy box. I
thought, what a relief.

Food Poems

2008-01-25T12:37:00.000-06:00

The only thing better than eating food, is writing about it, so this week, I decided to bring in Virgil Suárez's "Mango Eating in America." Suárez writes about his childhood in Cuba, and how delicious the mangoes tasted in his native country. Students were asked why Suárez might prefer Cuban mangoes to American ones, and their reasons -- they taste better (sweeter), they remind him of home, they're bigger -- were all excellent starting points for writing poems on a number of suggested food themes.

Ms. Jones, 3rd grade

The Orange
Michelle A.

The orange is
refreshing and
delicious. I
think of it as an
orange piece of heaven.
It used to be my
favorite color. It
shines, it could make
me blind. Sometimes
by the summer shine.
Pretty as a pear
with a flair or an
apple that is taffy.
Thank you for having
the orange.

Banana
Devlin H.

Banana,
banana,
I will use you to call
my friend. I adore your squishiness,
your squishiness. Your friend is
orange. He is sweet and juicy.
Banana,
banana,
you are royal.
Banana,
banana,
I peel your bright yellow skin.
Then take a big bite of your
white tasty insides. I chase after
my favorite fruit. You the wonderful
banana.

My Favorite Berry
David L.

Hello strawberries
You're the best berries
I have seen
You give me joy
You give me peace
You give me everything
I need

Nachos
Aya S.

I like the cheese
It smells good
I like the meat
Crunch, crunch, crunch
It's delicious
I like the chips

Ms. Goode, 5th grade

C. C.
Georel A.

Staring into the distance.
Only seeing red stripes and white.
Looking.
A holiday candy.
Sweet sensations.
Not much blasts.
A candy cane.
So boring.
Just created.
Why not any other candy?
What about fruit?
Sigh.
Why am I writing bout candy canes?
I'm thinking of a candy cane blaster.
Shoots out yogurt.
Sigh.
I would give anything for something yummy.
At least, something worthy.
Which food?
Something.
Something other than red and white.
Something non-sweet.
Candy canes. No.

Tomatoes
Teksong E.

Tomatoes,
the stuff that you put on your burgers,
which also goes on salads,
what makes up your ketchup,
what you use,
to get out the smell of a skunk,
what strange fruit,
of how it is mistaken for a vegetable.

Grapes
Camila M.

Grapes so purple and
sweet. The round mushiness
but those dumb seeds are
the only bad thing about
them. So sweet it can
take you all the way
to heaven in just
one bite.

Purple my favorite
color, always reminds
me of the beautiful
grape. Me and my
friends always make
delicious grape juice
freshly mushed. Oh
beautiful grapes.

Mr. Sandlass, 4th grade

Peanut Butter Sandwich
Stephen D.

A peanut butter sandwich
is a kind of food
that is made of a different food.
It tastes like peanuts and bread
because that's what it is.
Most people like it with jelly,
but I like it just with peanut butter.
Everyone in here knows peanut butter
sandwiches are my favorite food
because I bring one to lunch every
day.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Cindy L.

I love strawberries covered
in chocolate, it is so
sweet. I would have it
for breakfast, lunch and
dinner. It can be messy.
I ate it once and I
was covered in juice and
chocolate. Try it, it is so
good.

Bananas
Toni S.

It is squishy
and gooey, it can
be eaten any way,
fried, cooked or even
by itself, a
banana can be a
great food for
those who like it.
A banana is my favorite
fruit and it gets me
very full.

Apples
Calvin T.

Apples, they are remarkable
change colors every time
when you bite into their core
it must be juicy, sour or crunchy
they remake each other by seeds

Color Poems

2008-01-17T17:32:00.000-06:00

Brazilian poet, Adelia Prado, writes passionately and intensely about the color "Purple," sometimes using it in unusual ways. After I read Prado's poem in English, a student read it in Portuguese; students were asked which words 'sounded' more purple to them -- "purple," "morado" or "púrpura" -- and which version of the poem they preferred, regardless of whether they understood it in Portuguese. We discussed parts of speech and personification as well. Students were then asked to write their own poems, using a favorite color in as many ways as possible.

Ms. Jones, 3rd grade

Colors That Are Fast and Slow
Naomi G.

A car is red and fast.
A dog is black and fast when it
runs and slow when it is walking.
A ball is blue and fast.
A turtle is green and it is very
slow to get anywhere.
I have seen a lizard and it looks
like it is a dragon and it is
green.
I do not know if it is fast
or slow.

And a clock is slow in any
color.

Blue
Aleena I.

I blue to my house. I am sad. I see my
house. It looks blue. I go to my porch. The sky
is dark blue. It is raining hard. I feel blue.
All I can see is blue, even what isn't. Blue does
not encourage me, not even the least but.

Pink
Isabella K.

Pink is my heart I draw.
Pink smells like pink puppies.
I see a girl with pink hair.
She leaves the store with pink everything.
I see a pink clock that ticks Pink!
Pink!
I hear pink everywhere.
Don't you like pink?

Blue
Asala M.

Blue is colorful.
The sky is bright blue.
The smell of the blueberries.
The taste of the blue.
It gets out of bed in the morning.
Just like you should.
Blue is cool.

White
Jerry T.

White is blank
ready for you
to fill it with color.
White is never the same,
it is always ready to change.
White is a sponge
that takes in color.
White will blend,
and whiten any color.
White is nothing,
but at the same time everything.

Ms. Goode, 5th grade

Blue
Rezwan C.

Blue is like dark
Blue is cold
freeze
freezy

Blue is shiny
shines the sky
Blue is sour

Blue is amazing
Blue is paint
Blue is powerful

Blue is thunder
Blue is ecstatic
Blue is magnetful
Blue is water

Blue gives you power
Blue is ice-cream
Blue is glad
Blue is stars

Blue is happiness

Pink
Edina H.

The whole room is pink.
It's excited and happy.
Its heart is full of joy.
Outside a pink chair is in a store, in a corner.
It's alone and sad.
There is a huge heap on its back.
Pink is happy and sad.
I am pink.

Turquoise
Sharon M.

Turquoise is the sea.
Maybe a headband.
Or it could be on me.

The sky turquoises after sunrise.
So bright I can play with her all day.
We have fun and I never get bored.

You should have turquoise
As a friend
Like her or me!

Pink
Brenda Q.

Pink glitters into the night.
Sweetens the cake with color.
Yellow despises the new red of the
rainbow.
Pink sadly turns red in
the night.
Red didn't understand the sadness
of the world.
But pink does.

Mr. Sandlass, 4th grade

Chartreuse, Glory Color
Madison B.

Chartreuse, what a color
Chartreuse, like a tennis ball
Chartreuse, glory color
The color that nobody thinks
about, the color of eyes
It smells like morning
dew
Tastes like stained glass
Sounds like tree branches
Chartreuse, glory color

Green
Cindy L.

Green is the leaves on
the tree. Green is like
fruit. Green is the color
of birds far away.
Green is the color of
learning. Green is the
water of the sea.
The color reminds
me of summer, and
things in bloom. Green
is the things outside.
Green is the world.

Blue Sea
Darius V.

I see the sea is blue,
I hear the sea's waves crashing,
I feel the sea's water on my toes,
I smell the salty air of the sea,
And I taste the sea's fish.

Collaborative Poems

2007-12-16T15:34:00.001-06:00

For our last class before the holiday and new year break, I wanted to try something that would (hopefully) be fun. We read several two-line poems from Joshua Beckman & Matthew Rohrer's collaborative book, Nice Hat. Thanks, and talked a bit about the process the two poets used when writing poems together. Students then counted off, and were put in groups based on their number. Each wrote three starting lines for as many separate poems, passing them on to others in their group, who added their own lines, creating a series of short group poems. Students were encouraged to think fast, and make "sense" only if they wanted to, or could.

Here are two poems apiece from each group in every class.

Ms. Jones, 3rd grade

Samir A., Jericho C., Devlin H., Sophie L., Aya S., Mark W., Angela Y.

He got a hat

he is wearing the hat

he is warm.

He likes it.

A woman killed a dog.

It was horrible.

I like popcorn.

So I yelled at her.

Michelle A., Allison C., Nicole C., Jacob E., Naomi G., Aleena I.

Pink, blue, how about you?

I don't know.

I have a blue shoe so blue!

Me too.

Tomorrow I will

go to a concert

and have fun.

It was loud.

Griffin B., Krista C., Isabella K., Divya P., Jerry T., Eric W.

The gray slug

is so slow

the pie is

sour

and candy is good.

I am a

joyful person

and I am a dog

with fins

and with a head of steel.

Anton B., Racquel K., Andrena M., Asala M., Daniel S., Zohaib S.

I like to play

in the park

and go on the slide

I like the swings and the

monkey bars.

My favorite

food is pizza

it is hot

and crusty.

Maya G., Jennifer H., Abel K., David L., Andrew M., Sergio N.

Books make you smart

like Albert Einstein,

and Benjamin Franklin.

I like them both.

I'm in the car

I crashed.

Me too.

I hate crashing.

Ms. Goode, 5th grade

Jessica D., Sang H., Chanel M., Seyi O., Aimee P., Marti R., Cristina T.

This is

extraordinary.

Like my uncle's mole

that is so pretty

that it's weird

sorta cat dog

ugly!

I killed the devil

and kissed a pig

and ate a cow

and burned the cookies

and now I am owner of Heaven 2 a.k.a. Hell.

I love eating crispy buttons.

I am Zeus!

Nick C., Rezwan C., Andres G., Keyla J., Yusra M.

Yesterday I fell in the air.

A basket made of wire.

I hate so much

people

eating burgers

with monkey

lint!

In the basement

an elephant was there

eating my clothes

clothes taste good mmmmmmmmm

die

bird

Edina H., Chris K., Sharon M., Brenda Q., Sammy R., Jeremy S., Ninos Y.

My mom can cook

lots of paper.

Three seconds too much

why is time so slow?

I don't like this.

We made ice cream out of glue.

Let's have candy.

I ha ha

put a smile on your face

uhh!

People were

dancing in the woods

bubblegum in a dish.

I hate animals.

Georel A., Dragos B., Kush G., Yixuan J., Luis L., Stephanie Z.

I broke my

spine in the

woods of doom

the woods was

a freaking problemo. Don't say that! No, you shut up! Foo!

What the, never mind.

Or am I stupid?

I'm going outside.

You are?

Chocolate.

I don't care!!! Whatever.

Loooopy, I am.

Ahhh I am melting.

No no no it's hot.

Mary B., Vivian C., Liam D., Teksong E., Brandy K., Haris S.

That's cool

crazy.

I am

strange, are you?

The kitten got scared and said moo.

Eat all your vegetables

Homer.

Never

get sleepy

or else I'll

put waffles in your

pocket.

Homework

why homework?

Alex B., Long L., Rawabi S., Ruben V., Saleh Y.

Yesterday I saw

Liam for spelling bee.

And he ran away.

Some woman was running.

I think she saw him

running on the moon

and bumped her head.

Today I saw

a pink dog

was weird like a poodle.

And was so small.

There was a midget in the girls bathroom.

It was dumb

like Dumbo.

Mr. Sandlass, 4th grade

Matthew A., Elena D., Sherino M., David M., Toni S., Calvin T.

The art is

amazing

like forget-me-not blue

pants

are

nothing

Madison B., Muneeb Q., Yara S., Sam S., Vivian T., Darius V.

I like video games.

I will go to the land of party for the food.

I will eat triangle pretzels.

Day is light, night is dark.

Water is cool, the sun is hot.

Ice is cold and fire burns your skin.

Trizia B., Sargon D., Danyel H., George L., Diana P., Jason Z.

Spongebob.

That's a good show.

I know he's so smart.

People sing.

Christmas spirit.

People dreaming.

People eating.

People screaming.

People looking up.

Waleed A., Anastasia K., Cindy L., Kaelin M., Eric N.

It's Christmas eve.

It's Christmas morning.

I don't know how to build a snowman.

I built a snowman.

I was in a car.

I will fix the car.

Stephen D., Kayla H., Isis M., Joseph M., Milad Q., Mohammed S.

Eat your ice cream melted

at the ice cream shop

before it blows up.

I love vanilla.

Mr. Dean's hair is crazy today.

It looks like a porcupine.

His hair rocks.

Tristan C., Klea K., Jorge L., Khang N., Minh N.

Dancing shoes.

Two dancing square shoes

with laces.

Basketball players.

The image was pleasant

the first time I saw it

wrestlers dancing

wrestlers dying

Body Part Poems

2007-12-10T12:24:00.000-06:00

In her poem, "Anatomy Lesson #2: The Palpation of Bony Landmarks," Katrina Vandenberg urges readers to see beyond the surface of things, beyond the cold and confusing language of science, using "the art of finding" to explore deeper issues of love, compassion and understanding. The poem's anatomical jargon was discussed, and students were asked to consider an under-appreciated body part in poems of their own.

Ms. Jones, 3^rd grade

My Pinky

Michelle A.

I can't see it

but I can feel

it. For me it looks

nice and soft but it

is hard and I don't

care. It is pretty

and pink. It is small

and cute. Pinky, you

help me live. Also

you help me have

five fingers. Thank

you Pinky.

My Heart

Isabella K.

My heart is pounding fast because

I have so much excitement. My heart

is beating fast because I'm home. My

heart is pounding fast because I'm happy.

My heart is happy as me. I think I am going

to die.

The Skull

Sophie L.

Boom! I fall down the

stairs. There is a big bump

on my head. Inside my head

there is a malfunction

in my skull. Now my head

is cold and painful, the

malfunction is going crazy.

I cannot control myself,

someone stop me from run-

ning into that Boom!

wall.

Heart of Love

Andrena M.

Your heart is full of love

and relaxation and not sadness.

To be mad you have to fight it.

You're on the beach in Hawaii looking at

the sunset, and lay on the nice and soft

sand on a towel. Hear the waves

of the water.

Untitled (Body Part Poem)

Daniel S.

Beneath my shirt and other clothes

There is my heart,

Beating,

all day long.

Faster

faster

slower

slower.

It never stops.

When it stops,

say goodbye.

Why? What happens,

you die!

Ms. Goode, 5^th grade

Untitled (Body Part Poem)

Alex B.

Dear colon, you look

like a piece of pasta. You

are so wiggly and small.

You are our trash man from

a different world. You are

a colon from a different

world.

The Rib Cage

Kush G.

The rib cage is

most important of all. It protects

anything that is in.

In there is my stomach,

other things and your good loving

heart.

The rib cage is

great and it protects too.

The greatest part in your

body that we love so.

Teeth

Yusra M.

You may not care about them

but if you didn't have the

white little things in your

mouth you can't chew, you

can't be able to talk sometimes.

I wish teeth were perfect.

I hate the dentist, it is just

a waste of time even if you

really need it. Teeth are just

as important a body

part than the other teeth

are as fragile as a six billion

dollar glass on the edge of the

Sears Tower. They're unusual but sort

of nice to have.

The Backbone (Back)

Sammy R.

It's big, hard, rough.

It moves back and forth.

It can ache.

If you don't have one

you will be shorter than ever.

I lay on my back to

wash my hair in the

bath tub.

Mr. Sandlass, 4^th grade

The Backbone

Waleed A.

How come I can't have

a good life without a

backbone? It looks like a crocodile

sticking out of your skin.

How can you stand up

without a backbone? Is the

backbone white or blue? I like

it when you have a backbone

because I can't even fall or

stand up or move or drive

a car. That's why I like backbone.

Our Hands

Stephen D.

Our hands can do a lot,

They can even tie a knot.

They are very strong,

They help us swim through a bog.

With our hands we can swing a bat,

We can also pick up a rat.

Our hands are very, very white,

Yes, these hands belong to Reginald

Dwight.

How the Heart Feels

Klea K.

The heart feels.

The heart is all emotions.

The heart makes you feel.

The heart feels.

The heart takes over all body parts.

When you kiss you kiss with the heart.

The heart keeps all emotions.

The heart feels.

The heart is the shape of love.

If you love, you love with the heart.

The heart keeps all emotions.

The heart feels.

The heart is your life.

Your heart is the kindest body part.

Because it is the most important body part.

Which means it saves your life.

That's how the heart feels.

Eye

Cindy L.

The eye is unknown

once you go past it.

Something makes colors.

Something makes light.

Too much light makes pupil

close. Too much dark makes

it open. It opens wide and

freely. Amazed we are one

and all of the eye.

The Hand

Isis M.

For the people each has different

color skin. On each hand there

are like a V shape. Each line on your

finger is about 1 cm. You use your

hand for holding pen and paper

that you give to Mr. Dean or Mr. Sandlass.

Mouth

Yura S.

I like my mouth. Without a mouth I would

not talk. You would not be able to talk to your

teacher. So you won't have any homework, hip, hip,

hooray!

Thumb

Jason Z.

The thumb bone's the smallest finger

on your hand. I like my thumb so much.

It helps me a lot. I could never pick up anything

without it. It helps me grab stuff. My

favorite thing about my thumb is video

games, sports, and writing stuff. My thumb

bone is my most helpful bone. (Besides the

heart.) (And brain.) (And lungs.) (And intestines.)

(And I don't want to name all the other things.)

Odes

2007-11-30T17:12:00.000-06:00

One consistently popular poetic form among students is the ode. They are drawn to its exalted style, used to celebrate everyday things otherwise taken for granted. We read Pablo Neruda's "Ode to a Large Tuna in the Market" and discussed how he describes the tuna, as well as how he feels about it. Students were then given the choice of writing either an ode to something they love, or an anti-ode to something they hate. There were so many excellent responses, it was difficult to choose, but here is a representative selection.

Ms. Jones, 3^rd grade

Ode to Chocolate

Allison C.

Among the table

sat a bar

of chocolate

melting in

the hot sun

my eyes glazed

down at the

chocolate as if

my eyes were

glued to the chocolate

bar

Ode to Books

Jennifer H.

Books are cool

and good to read.

They are good

to take out

when you're bored.

Some books are

big, some books

are small.

My head

is full of

books to read.

They make you

smart.

Anti-Ode to Tests

Aleena I.

Oh test how you

bother me with your

hard questions. You

make me cry when

my grades go low.

You knock me off

the honor roll!

Anti-Ode to Homework

Zohaib S.

Homework! Homework! Noooo...

Homework! I don't like

homework. The homework comes

from teacher mind!

My mind gots wild. 2+52, 3+1, 300.

Wwwooo. My mind hurts.

Ode to My Dog

Jerry T.

Among all the pets

I picked you.

For when I came

to your cage

you looked at me

with your beady

black eyes.

You tilted your

head, and

licked my hand.

As I looked

at the other

dogs, you

stood on your

hind legs, and

looked at me.

From that point

on I couldn't

resist you and

that's when I

knew, that I

needed you.

Ode to Candy

Eric W.

I like candy it

is sweet, it has

sugar, it smells good,

every kid likes candy,

it is great, it

gets you very hyper,

no one hates it,

no one can resist

it, it's the most

wonderful thing in

the world, it gives

you cavities, you have

to go to the dentist,

it tastes different

flavors.

Ms. Goode, 5^th grade

Ode to Guitar Hero

Georel A.

Those about to rock,

we salute you,

press those tiny frets,

green, yellow, red,

blue, orange,

keep strumming,

hold the fret,

whammy, use the whammy.

If you have all

games,

more than 100 songs

of rock, metal, and jazz.

Rock with your friend,

let him/her cooperate,

be filled with spirit,

you're going to fail,

activate it,

tilt your guitar up,

STAR POWER!

Ode to Ms. Goode

Dragos B.

Ms. Goode is a

great teacher

she is realistic.

When she means

it she means it.

She is nice but

when you get on

her nerves she

does not kid around.

Some people think

she is mean but many

think she is very, very

nice.

She has very many

nice, nice ideas!!

Ode to Summer

Sang H.

All summer

so much heat

green seas

all around

blue skies

high above

the summer cruise

is sailing

So relaxed

in a good

mood

the king of

seasons

the hot

sand at

the beach

the cool

water in

the lake

Summer is the

greatest

Ode to Nice Teachers

Keyla J.

Nice teachers

are funny. They

are fun too. Ms. Goode

is a nice teacher. Ms. Thomas

is funny and fun. I'll never

have a not funny teacher.

Ode to the Books in the World

Aimee P.

Pages rustling,

beckoning.

Casting a spell,

you are trapped.

Struggling to get out,

you lose the battle.

Dragons and knights fight,

a girl,

losing her parents to...

Death.

The pages whisper and...

you listen.

Horror, death, love.

All in the books.

Stop...

and listen.

The books are whispering,

beckoning.

Ode to My Small Necklace

Cristina T.

The beautiful necklace

I have never worn.

It just sits in

the last solitary box.

I don't

know why I have

never worn it.

The solitary box

has its key.

I just

want to find the

key, and stick it

in. then I'll see

the blue sapphire

and stare at it.

That sparkly

dazzling beautiful

necklace, that

I would wear.

But I really

don't care!

Mr. Sandlass, 4^th grade

Anti-Ode to Spinach

George L.

Spinach not cool

Spinach smells like my

dad's gym socks

My mom makes me

eat it

It's all leaf

It's very green

It's disgusting

Ode to My Family

Kaelin M.

My family I love

because they

will not

hurt me and I

can trust them with

my secrets. When

I am sad they

warm my heart,

they also make

me feel good.

Instead of making

me feel bad they

will encourage

me.

Ode to My Sammy Sosa Bobblehead

Sam S.

Sammy Sosa bobblehead,

just sitting by yourself,

bored,

having headaches,

always feeling blue,

and never getting attention.

But when I go

to bed,

you are probably

always very happy.

Sammy Sosa,

you are my

favorite baseball player.

Conversation Poems

2007-11-16T10:21:00.000-06:00

Denis Johnson's poem, "Traveling" features two characters talking in a barbershop about a third person who is not there; a fourth character sits quietly and listens to their conversation. Inspired by the poem, students were asked to write their own "talking" poems.

Ms. Goode, 5^th grade

The Haircut

Vivian C.

Sitting alone, no one to

talk to. Eating my sandwich.

While eating hearing a suspicious

conversation about “the haircut.”

Elizabeth complaining about her

haircut to Anabell. “I hate my

haircut.”

“It looks fine,” said Anabell.

Sigh. “My hair

is sooo short I can't

even tie it. I hate that

barber, she cut five inches

off my hair. It used

to be twelve inches, and

now. What should I

do?” said Elizabeth.

“You should leave it

alone and ignore what

people say about it, OK?”

“Well, OK, I should

ignore them. Well

thanks.”

Untitled (Conversation Poem)

Camila M.

Hi! I say to my friend

Jackie. Hi! How are you?

says Jackie. I'm good, you?

Fine. So what place

did you get? I ask

her. 2^nd is what she

says. I'm in a dim

lighted room with a

bunch of gymnastics

equipment. OMG! Are

you serious? I am

so amazed, that is

no fair, I won 6^th!

Eeerrgg! Didn't you

roll off the mat?

Yes, but Matt slipped

and still got 1^st place.

Oh well! And we walk

away laughing.

The Conversation

Aimee P.

I plop down on the bench with my tray,

filled with smelly, hard, mushy, lumpy who-knows-whats.

Surrounded by slurping, chomping, chewing, crunching,

I lift my spork.

I move my who-knows-whats around and finally,

I chew and I listen.

“Guess what?” says someone.

“OMG!! Guess what I heard?” says another.

“What?!” says a third.

Filled with curiosity,

I listen harder and harder.

“Did you hear about *whisper* and *whisper*?”

“Really? *giggle* Wow!!” says an excited voice.

RING!!!!!

I will never know who whisper and whisper

are.

Untitled (Conversation Poem)

Haris S.

I was sitting by the captain's chair that day, bored,

I saw same old outer space through the windows when I heard the captain scream.

He ran from the bridge and grabbed the radio. “Houston, we have a horrible problem!”

“What is it, Johnny?” came a man's voice.

“We ran out of Chinese food!” the captain cried.

“Nooo! The horror! I know how you feel, buddy, we'll send up a Chinese food tank.”

“What a bunch of weenies,” I muttered.

In four minutes the tank crashed into our ship and captain stopped sucking his thumb.

“The Chinese food is here!” The captain ran to it like a long lost son.

Then I heard a grinding sound, oh boy.

“Captain, come on,” I shouted. “No way, I'm not done with the eggrolls.”

“What's more important, your life or your eggrolls?” “Why, eggrolls!”

“Oh, for cryin' out loud!” I grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him to the

shuttle. “Nooo, they have no tacos in there!” he shouted.

“Oh, shut up,” I said.

And I grabbed an eggroll.

Mr. Sandlass, 4^th grade

Untitled (Conversation Poem)

Kayla H.

Frog: Hello Toad!

Toad: Hi Frog!

Frog: Want to go to the swamp?

Toad: I would love to.

walk...walk...walk...

Frog: Yay we're here!

Toad: Let's go swimming!

splash...splash...splash

Frog: Let's get out of the water.

Toad: OK.

drip...drop...drip...drip

Frog: That was the best!

Toad: I know.

A Drinking Talk

Khang N.

“Let's have some refreshments,” said

a man on a sofa. “Yeah,” said the

other man. A big waiter came out

with tea and peas and with

two napkins shaped like T and P. “Wooo,” said

the man on the sofa, looking at the

napkins. “T and P.” “Yeah, delicious peas

and sweet peas,” said the other man.

Untitled (Conversation Poem)

Minh N.

Where did you get your snake? said Stephen.

I got it at Petsmart, said Minh. Why didn't

you get me one? said Stephen. I thought you

said you were allergic, said Minh. And why can't

you rent one yourself? said Minh. Because I don't

know how to get one, said Stephen. Fine I'll get

you one. Sigh, said Minh.

Untitled (Conversation Poem)

Diana P.

Nancy was standing at a restaurant

at Yum Yum. She was having an order.

Someone came behind her. It was

a woman. The woman said, “Excuse me?” Nancy

did not move. She told her, “I'm making

an order. Do you understand?”

The woman said, “I'm sorry, I have to eat.”

The sky was gray and starting to

rain. “Hey sit with me, let's talk,” said

the woman. Nancy sat with

her and became friends until

the rain stopped.

Ms. Jones, 3^rd grade

Untitled (Conversation Poem)

Samir A.

“Hey, where did you get that

engine?” said the car. “I got it from the

repair shop,” said the truck. “Hey, I need

to get one like yours because mine

is really junky,” said the car. “I'll

tell you where and you can drive

there,” said the truck. And the

car did.

Untitled (Conversation Poem)

Racquel K.

hey, pencil hey, pen where

you goin to candy land oh can

I come ahhh sure if you want I just

said I want to come! Oh you did.

Yeah I did OK come. On everything

there is candy pen said so I

can eat all of it said pen not

all of it said pencil ohhh that's

good you're fatter than before oh we

have to leave OK bye, bye wait

pen said. But pencil didn't listen

why do you leave meeee!

Pencil vs. Pen

David L.

One day a pencil and a pen were

walking down a block.

They never knew how to talk.

So one day they found themselves

on a bay. So first the pen

started to say

“Pens do not need to be sharpened”

so the pencil said, “Well I can be

erased.” So the pen and pencil fought

for the whole century.

Jam and Peanut Butter

Andrew M.

“Hey, Jam is better than Peanut

Butter,” said Jam. “No it isn't.

Peanut Butter is better than Jam,”

said Peanut Butter.

“No it isn't.”

“Yes it is.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Hey, I want a Peanut Butter and

Jam sandwich,” said a boy.

“He likes both of us,” said Jam and

Peanut Butter.

Jungle

Divya P.

The rain was getting heavier.

The lion was getting hungrier and hungrier.

Lion said, “I'm hungrier than ever.” Then

on the other side of the jungle the

zebra was so fat. He said, “I'm going

to go for a jog.” At the middle of

the jungle there was a party.

The lion and the zebra met.

The lion said, “I am going to eat

you up.” The zebra said, “No way.”

And the zebra was never seen

again.

Conversation

Angela Y.

“Can you come over to my house today?”

Allison asked me. “Sure,” I answered. “Let's go!”

“What should we do first?” Allison asked.

“Homework, so then we will have more

time to play!” I answered again.

“Let's work now,” said Allison.

“We are done!” we said.

“LET'S PLAY!” we yelled.

Room Poems

2007-11-02T17:22:00.000-05:00

This week, students read Weldon Kees' "Robinson." They were asked to describe things in and outside of Robinson's room, as well as how the poem made them feel. They were then asked to write their own room poems.

Ms. Goode, 5^th grade

The Staircase

Rhys B.

The staircase in the basement is unknown.

Only my cat knows. So dark, so lonely,

so secretive.

Everything he takes there is never

seen again. “Toys,” homework, dead bugs,

who knows what? All I know is

it's a secret? But then again

that's my cat to know

and me to find out.

The Room

Teksong E.

The room is dull,

The room is what used to be,

The room is nobody.

The closet is nothing,

The closet has no clothes,

The closet doesn't have anything.

The room is dark,

The room is a gray world,

The room used to have life.

My Room

Edina H.

Every time I walk into it the

yellow wall surrounds me.

The mess stings my eyes.

My sister enters into it when I

wasn't watching.

There is my desk with marker

scribbles on it, my computer is

turned on with her picture on it.

My TV is on Barney and my

bed is all messy.

My rocking chair has papers on it,

and my drawers are all open.

That's how my room looks when

my sister goes in it.

Class Room

Chanel M.

Books. Tests. All every day.

Sitting, writing all the same

day, writing on the board

day after day.

Getting paper cuts, getting

hurt by sitting on the

chair. Getting arm cramps

every single day.

The Room

Brenda Q.

The room is silent

when everyone leaves.

The batteries of the clock

die.

The television is broken.

The phone exploded.

The dog jumped out the

window.

The toys are gone.

The bed is hideous.

The painting is black and white.

The room is just broke.

The house should be on an extreme,

extreme makeover.

The Imaginary Room

Marti R.

By the hallway on

the wall, an imaginary door.

She opens it, green chairs,

a purple bed, a window

with rain and sun, a dresser

the color of the

world, with

blue spots on the walls,

and red stripes on the

floor, a crackling noise

to be heard, a tank

with fish, small, with orange

feathers, she walks out,

and still seen, looking

Room 119

Cristina T.

The fragile desks that lose their screws.

The blue chairs that squiggle and move. The board

erased and smudged, written with words you

can't even read. The computer with all the

information you need. The walls so blue and

yellow. Our teacher's desk, so brown and mellow.

The pencils on the floor, makes the

teachers expect more. The classroom rules

so hard to listen to. The classroom still

expects more from you.

My Imaginary Room

Saleh Y.

The room is so quiet

I'm not there where am I?

This is not my room.

This place is dirty, my

place is clean. There are

socks everywhere, the

clothes everywhere, the

bed is messy and I wake

up. It is my room.

My Room

Stephanie Z.

The night so dark

see nothing at all.

It's all pitch black

there's nothing to

see it's all so

bad. You can't see

your sister, you

can't see the closet

it's all pitch black.

When you wake up in the morning

light it's all so bright you see

my sister sleeping

in her bed. You

can see all the

things it looks amazing.

Mr. Sandlass, 4^th grade

Room

Sargon D.

Max comes in his room. It has a

china with old plates and old glasses. It

has a chandelier with 1,000 lights.

His room is dark blue. It matches

his eyes. He has a family

picture. A nice carpet and a fur rug.

A cozy fireplace and an enormous

bed. It is a nice and 70-90 foot

room.

The Room

Elena D.

Everything is colorful, the

bed, walls, and pictures. It is

messy like it has been

destroyed but it was not it

was only lived in by three

kids.

Room

Danyel H.

Colorful pictures upon the walls.

Scary skeletons falling on the floor.

Brown desks that are not very strong.

Old books, the pages falling off.

Works all around.

The Class Room

Kayla H.

Full room quiet class.

12 girls 21 boys 33 students

all together. Lots of books so

little paper. Sink in the back,

board in the front. That's what is

in the class room.

Bedroom

Muneeb Q.

In the bedroom there's a closet

and there's a bed, the bed is soft.

Like an angle flying above the sky.

There's lots of clothes in the sky.

Untitled (Room Poem)

Calvin T.

The room is silent with no one there

beds and chairs feel so unused

clocks still ring for no one but

themselves

Ms. Jones, 3^rd grade

Untitled (Room Poem)

Michelle A.

My room has a bunk bed,

a lamp, two closets, a computer,

a radio, two beanbags, two shelves,

a TV, and my Barbie place.

I usually stay in my

room with my hamster but

my hamster is in the living

room. He is because it is too

hot in my room. I share my

room with my brother. I do

because our place to live

has only two rooms. I live

in a basement.

The Room

Griffin B.

I'm surrounded by them but they're

Not alive, they are stuffed, they

Can't hurt me, they are stuffed,

How can they? They are stuffed.

They are my teddy bears.

My Room

Aleena I.

My room is bright orange. There are

colorful clothes all around. My bed

is pushed to the side. It's a bunk bed.

My sister is in there too, she is throwing

a fit as usual. There are two shelves

pushed against another wall. One is

mine. I wish I could move.

Clothes Poems

2007-10-25T17:06:00.000-05:00

For our first week of classes, no poem was brought in for students to read. Instead, we discussed the Hands on Stanzas program, and what students knew -- if anything -- about writing poetry. Students were then asked to write a poem about the clothes they were wearing that day.

Ms. Goode, 5^th grade

The Clothes I Wore for School

Rezwan C.

I wore a blue shirt and a striped shirt on

top of the blue shirt. I wore an army sweater on

top of the striped shirt.

I wore dark blue sweat pants for gym.

My sweat pants had pockets.

I wore a digital watch with

five buttons on it. The color was

black and silver.

I wore Nike shoes the

color was silver, gray, black, and yellow.

It had a check mark on it. (Like this √)

I wore white and gray socks.

That's the clothes I wore for

school.

Today Clothes

Jessica D.

Today is school, time to get

ready! First I put on my super

soft pink shirt. Next I put on

my gray sweat pants, they are

comfortable. Next on goes my

white socks with a pink stripe.

Last I put on my cream

colored shoes with the neon

orange laces. Finally I put a

blue clip in my hair, and also

my mom's sunglasses, she said

I look like a rock star!

Socks

Andres G.

Socks you are great

you are white

keep me warm every day

some times smells

some times dirty

but you recover

from dirt

sock oh sock

you are warm

you are great

My Clothes

Yixuan J.

White, blue, black

I hate the school dress code.

Expensive and colorful clothes get small

because I got no chance to wear it.

I have a white jacket on,

not really ugly,

black pants,

ugly color that I hate.

Scrunchy, well...

I don't really care about that,

it is blue,

which I like,

but wear too much.

Shoes,

new and brown,

with pink hearts,

Skechers,

a brand.

You know, I don't really care what I'm wearing.

My Clothes

Sharon M.

Red,

Blue,

Colorful clothes (not really).

White socks

So dull.

Blue shirt

My favorite.

Red sweater, red pants

With Baby Phat sign.

Colorful kitty bracelet

Marti is so jealous.

Eww! Dirty shoes

But they are my favorite.

Purple glasses

Wear 'em every day!

Dark red headband

Almost wore it the whole week.

Red and gray headband

For a scrunchy.

These are the clothes

I'm wearing today.

My Clothes

Ninos Y.

I hate my clothes that I am wearing

because it's fluffy, big, it has a zipper that

always bothers me, and it makes me look fat.

Plus my socks are short and they're tight so

they hurt my feet. The color of my clothes

is navy blue, I hate that color, the color

of my socks are white and they have

little flags.

Mr. Sandlass, 4^th grade

Scarlet Red Vest

Madison B.

It shines, sparkles, feels so soft.

The zippers make noise, buttons popped

off, very old but very cool.

In a couple of days it will

fall apart but now today it's

a work of art.

My Clothes

Klea K.

I am wearing my red shirt.

It is actually my pajamas.

My favorite color is red. Today

is a part of red ribbon week.

I am wearing my black

Skechers pants. You can zip

off some pieces and zip

them back on to make

shorts, capris or pants. I

am wearing my hair tie

to keep my hair up in

a pony tail. I am wearing

my black and white gym

shoes. My pants and shirt

are bigger than the normal

size, but my red shirt

is XL.

Hannah Montana Shirt

Ana K.

I am wearing a Hannah Montana

shirt.

I bought it at the mall.

It was $29.00.

I was shocked when I saw it.

I was thinking of wearing it at the

Hannah Montana concert.

It is a very nice shirt.

And it is comfortable.

My Clothes

Sam S.

My clothes are very colorful today.

I am wearing a shirt that says Drug Free.

There are also dark blue pants on me.

I got some new shoelaces

and I'm taking very long paces.

I am wearing a camouflage jacket

and I bought a new tennis racket.

I have awesome clothes today.

What's On Me

Vivian T.

I hate my shirt cause it doesn't

look good and even though it's uniform,

it doesn't go with anything I'm

wearing. To me it's scaring everything

in sight. The creepy thing is what

it looks like at night.

I am very pretty when I wear

them I act very greedy. When

I run, I run very speedy.

My jeans look very cool. Well at

least my pants rule. When they

get dirty I get very mad, then

I get sad.

Ms. Jones, 3^rd grade

Untitled (Clothes Poem)

Krista C.

I have earrings. The color is gold.

They hang. The shape is a graduation

diploma. I also have a necklace.

It is brand new. The colors are

black, orange and green. The shape

is a pumpkin.

Untitled (Clothes Poem)

Nicole C.

I have a blue shirt and it is wrinkly. My pants

are black stretchy pants. My shoes are black too

and there is pink on the bottom and they're big

and clunky. The size of the shoe is a 4. My hair

is brown and my eyes are brown too. My mom

always says they're beautiful.

My Shoes

Maya G.

My shoes are dirty,

and have little holes,

and they're kind of pink,

and they're never tied.

But I still like my shoes.

Untitled (Clothes Poem)

Naomi G.

Today I am wearing a blue shirt

it has short sleeves.

I'm wearing black pants I have

a jacket to go with, it is black.

My watch is pink, my shoes are white

and blue, it is also dark blue.

My socks are white and purple.

They are my favorite.

My Jacket

Sophie L.

My jacket is special

to me because I got it

shopping with my mom at

Target.

There is a little green

bag tie that I have had

on for one year.

I got it on vacation.

Introductions

2007-10-23T15:18:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Solomon Elementary Poetry blog! This is my first year at Solomon, and I am thrilled to have this opportunity to post examples of student writing on a regular basis, twenty weeks out of the year. I hope to present much of their work over the next six-plus months, along with links (as available) to the poems students are reading.

Please check back soon -- classes start this week!