New Solomon Blog!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.