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.

Celebrate! Playing for Change with children all around our world

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

Langston Hughes - 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. 

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* These verses were added by Margot's 2019 middle grade LA/SS class

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.

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!

Animal Rhymes * spiced with Real Traits

Marvelous Manatee

By Zie Syed

A manatee

Can’t climb a tree

Or chase a flea

But you’ll agree

It can swim! And glide

Through the grass

Under the water.

A manatee

Can’t eat meat

Or candy sweet

I’ll tell you a little more:

It’s a

Vegetarian 

And I’m an

Omnivore! 

The End


A fox named Brox

by Christian

A fox named Brox

Likes to draw with sidewalk chalks

He loves to draw houses

And the homes of mouses.

He loves to draw flowers

After rain showers.

Brox the fox never stops

He even draws lollipops!

H a m s t e y

By Amelia

Hamstey loves carrots

Burrowing

And stuffing her pouches.

Look out!

She’s running on the couches! 

When she sleeps in her hut, 

she crouches

 

And when she runs on her wheel

 it makes a “squeal, squeal” 

Onomatopia * Words that imitate Sounds* Bow WowWow !

O n o m a t o p i a 

 is a word that imitates a sound

On the Ning Nang Nong

So its Ning Nang Nong

Cows go Bong!
Nong Nang Ning
Trees go ping
Nong Ning Nang
The mice go Clang
What a noisy place to belong
is the Ning Nang Ning Nang Nong!!

- by Spike Milligan

Clank Clank Clang Our Imaginary Band

by the Pokitos

Clank clank clang

Whacking the ladle on the pan

Ba bam blam blam

Slapping on the drum

Salappity slap slap 

Rapping on the table top

Voo vaa voovavoo va 

Vi-bra-ting strinnnnnnngs 

Owah Wowwwwwooo waaaaah

Trommmmm-bone slides in and out

It's the Clank Clank Clang

of our imaginary band!