Final Student Poetry Post

And here are the last of the poems I will share for this year. The reason why I wanted to share so many is one, because I'm incredibly proud of them, and two, I wanted to show the diverse breadth of their writing. In allowing choice, and letting my students write for various audiences, purposes, and about various topics, at their own pace, I have gotten real variety in their writing. I think this variety is a testament to the diversity in my classroom and the authenticity of their work.

Enjoy!

Unseen Wonder

The ocean

waves that

Make me sleep.

They hit the beach

With a fierce slam.

The wind that makes

The bright green and

Brown palm trees sway.

My thoughts drift like

Clouds in the sky.

As I lay on my Scooby-

Doo beach towel

I am acutely aware

Of the earths unseen

Wonders.

Pink sand lilies and

Green and brown palm

Trees. Silently making

Life-giving oxygen.

Insects engaged in a

Pollination dance.

Creatures unseen beneath

The wavy blue waters.

Stirring colorful corals

Dancing on soft currents.

A world hidden in plain

Sight.

-Christina

I'll Be There

I'll be there

When you wake up

And you need someone to feed you.

I'll be there

When you have a problem

And you need some one to talk to.

I'll be there

To pick you up

When you fall on that red carpet,

With your favorite Sponge Bob on it.

I'll be there

On your first birthday

When you put your face in your Sponge Bob cake

I'll be there

On that white, snowy Christmas

When you wake up and go down stairs

And ask, "Can I open it now?"

I'll be there

When you try to say your first words

Like, "Mommy, Daddy."

I'll be there

Even though my dad wasn't there for me.

I'll Be There.

-Deandre

The Beauty Pageant

My beautiful turquoise and lime green dress

That looks like the ocean and

barely touches the cold tile.

Scattered girls and reassuring mothers

Telling their little girls "You are the most beautiful girl in the room."

I'm thinking to myself, That's a lot of most beautiful girls.

As I slip on my sparkling diamond heels,

I listen to the loud hisses of hairspray going haywire

And the whimpers and groans of the younger girls

getting their hair extensions.

I examine the dressing room and look at my competition

and inhale the combined sweet smells of hairspray

and heavy perfume,

the strong smells choking me as I inhale and exhale too quickly.

High pitched giggles of my friends

and their mothers shushing them.

I observe every girl's hair color,

Honey blondes and scarlet red heads

Brunettes with very unnatural-looking blonde highlights

and jet-black hair.

Nothing the same about us

Except we all want to win.

My heart was pounding like thunder.

My stomach felt like the ocean's waves

As I stepped on the large, empty stage

Solo

Staring at the judges

I turn around gracefully

And as I step off the stage,

I trip

But I give the judges a cute wink anyway

I walk out, satisfied with my performance

This is your last beauty pageant for a while,

My nana's words echo in my mind

Giving me a harsh headache

Thinking about my favorite part of life

Being ripped away from me

If I don't win

That's it, I can't start over.

This better be good...

-Michahalia