Thursday, June 10, 2021

More Metaphor

Sharpening Pencils

A color poem by Amelia Shoemaker


Red is sharpening pencils

Violet is playing tag

White is sliding down the slide

Pink is chewing bubble gum

Sky blue is swinging high

Orange is running so fast it’s on fire! 

Yellow is walking in the warm sunshine

Gold is singing shiny and bright

Brown is chirping in an apple tree

Silver is whistling piercing silvery whistles




Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Magnetic Poetry

MAGNETIC POETRY

...is somewhat randomly composed, using only those words you find in magnetic tiles on your refrigerator, or try it online at MagneticPoetry.com


These were created by my Language Arts student Henry M:

I want complete crashes out of the system and

Intelligent planets for access to nachos


Her humanoid avatar plays microwave dragon by line giga 


Of my squirrel, 
whose rest cycle is mossly, 
watches green gentle thick flowers


Friday, June 12, 2020

Langston Hughes * Dreams and Aspirations

Dream Variations

To fling my arms wide 
In some place of the sun,
To whirl and to dance
Till the white day is done.
Then rest at cool evening
Beneath a tall tree
While night comes on gently,
Dark like me -
That is my dream!

To fling my arms wide
In the face of the sun,
Dance! Whirl! Whirl! 
Till the quick day is done.
Rest at pale evening...
A tall, slim tree...
Night coming tenderly
Black like me.



Click on the link above for a joyful celebration of unity 

Langston Hughs wrote poems about the experiences of black Americans during the last century. From the 1920's until his death in 1967, he was revered for his inspiring and powerful poetry.  You can find many of his books for children  at KidWorldCitizen.org.  
He wrote "(we) now intend to express our dark-skinned selves without fear or shame... We know we are beautiful."

I hope you know that you are beautiful, too. 

Dreams

 - 1902-1967

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird 
That cannot fly. 

Hold fast to dreams 
for when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow. 

* Hold fast to dreams 
   For when we do
  We may find our best dreams
  Coming true. 
* These verses were added by Margot's 2019 middle grade LA/SS class

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

A Maze Me * Prose Poetry for Girls by Naomi Shehab Nye


Necklace

I hope Sunday's slow and long,
steeped like a pot of mint tea.
Soft sun and deep thinking. 

Saturday was a crowded calendar page, 
a mound of chores.

Could Monday be a porch?
Facing the week.
Wednesday a meadow?


Thursday, let's leave
small baskets at everyone's door.
Flowers, notes, stones.
No one does that anymore.

Could a week be strung on a silver chain?
A boat?

A tree?
Tuesday as a tree?


Weekend Metaphors
By Violetta


Friday is a day before the weekend; it’s a bear sleeping in it’s cave, which is buried under snow. 
Saturdays in quarantine, I get up and play with my sister.  I’m a fox, jumping around.

Sunday in June is a cinnamon roll baking in the oven, served at noon.

Blank as a Blank * Similes

Blank as a Blank *  A Poem Full of Similes
 by LillySam


Mad as a lion who didn’t get the prey, happy as a lion who 
Caught the prey
Disappointed as a Mahi Mahi tuna
Scared as an antelope who gets too close to its attacker
Gentle as a buffalo in a desert
Kind as a kitty cat 
Surprised as a who-mon
Interested as nothing
Sad as sadness from inside out
Fast as flash
Hurt as air
Strong as Hulk
Nice as Wonder Woman
Honest as Honest Kid’s Juice
Taller than me, I’m only 4 foot something
Smart as a shrimp, ‘cause shrimps can solve a Rubick’s cube 
Silent as a dog sleeping on the bed
Smooth as a cup
Fluffy as a feather
Hard as a bone
Brilliant as a chicken
Hungry as a panda
Slow as a sloth
Funny as a deer walking in circles thinking nothing, smelling nothing.

I am me, and I am who I am.



Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Appealing to the 5 Senses * Mesmerizing Creatures


Purple Magical Pony
by Bella
Purple Magical Pony
Has pictures on her side
To tell you what her name is:
Her name is Gem.
Gem shines like jewels: purple, light pink,
violet, and white green. 
She can fly with her wings:
Flap, flap, flap, swish!
Gem can eat grass:
Watery like lettuce.
Her coat is smooth, soft and silky.
She smells flowers:
Lilacs, cherry blossoms, and roses.
Gem lives in Ponyland, 
and every day is
Incredible! 

   Magic Dust

“Let’s sprinkle magic dust 
over the garden,” said Isabelle.
Her friend Bella the unicorn
Said “Yes!  That sounds swell!”

Isabelle was a fairy,
So she knew what to do:
They grew magical corn,

lollipops and Hershey bars, too.

Breathing in the Garden 
by the Pokitos


We see pretty May flowers, 
     A lady sweeping on the street, 
  fluff is floating on the wind, swirling around my yard,
                   and mamma and daddy bird with their babies in the nest.


A pink and purple viola smells so good,
        And the ruby throated hummingbird agrees
                  As she hovers above it. 


“Click-clickity-click”, a brown bird hops into the golden locust,
       It’s branches waving
                  sisswiss sisswiss.


My cat is feisty,
       her claws sharp like little knives,
               and her fur is silky soft.


Blackberries and strawberries taste sweeeeeet and juicy on my tongue,
           De-lish  de-lush  de-lightful 


Spring is whizzzzzzzzzzzzing by
                     While summer 

Is                         w  a  i  t  i  n  g 

on      q u i e t   wings 

Pete the Cat Poetry * Poems Inspired by Books we Love

Pete the Cat Poetry
by Zie
Pete's Jello Jam

Pete plays ukulele
And he likes to keep the beat 
And he likes to drink his lemonade
With sugar, so it’s sweet! 


One day he flies to 
Pakistan 
To visit his cousins
Mack and Jan.
Mack plays banjo,
Jan plays piano. 
Pete plays cello
Then they all eat Jello! 

After Reading
Pete the Cat
In the Tip Top Treehouse

I’m too tired
To truly write poetry
Too tired
Uninspired
Time for bed
Brush my teeth
Brush my hair
Tuck me in
Turn out the light

Goodnight


The Letter Hudd

                  By Hal

(inspired by "On Beyond Zebra" by Dr. Seuss)


Hudd is a letter I made easily.

You can use it to spell the word Huddidy.

This creature get all its electricity

By powering up its antena, you see.


The Huddidies live in electricity stations

Except when they're gone on long summer vacations.

Once they power up, their body sticks to stuff. 

And when it comes to power, there’s never enough!