We're a little behind here (as in two batches of poems from the OUR Center and the Teen Center. So, lots to come.
This first poem is from "Tim Tim." He wrote it last year in another class, and I just discovered it in his notebook:
When I Look in the Sky
at night I thinkof my uncle who died
when he was looking in the sky and got shot. When I look in the sky I think of all the soldiers that died. When I look in the sky I think of my parents and my whole generations. When I look in the sky, I think of my true love.When I look in the sky at night I think of all my dogs
that died.
- Sincerely
Timothy F.
The following poems are a continuation of our poems based on Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself."
Hasting teen center
Marlon walking across
the room looking lost
Harika making dumb sounds
Ms. Brooks eat her lunch
Breanna is eat candy
Zack playing pool and
he think he’s good.
-Willie
Hastings
The teen center is as loud as it could be
everybody is shouting
and running and Mrs. Singleton
stops and yells
Everybody stops
Bryanna sleeps withher mouth open and feet on the couch
as if she was home
Willie plays thePS2 and get mad
when he is losing and
Mrs. Brooks is watching
Jeeper-Creepers talking bout O no she
didn’t
O yes she did.
- Charles
Flagler Estates
My home town is Flagler Estates,
I live in the section named…
Guzeman Avenue, Sometimes I
see this woman and her 4 year old
son walking from one street to the
other, there is this one man walking
his German Shepherd every day, and
there is this one man who jogs every day
for fifteen minutes until he gets
5 streets down the road, and stops and
drink some water until he starts
sweating out of his forehead,
like the Gatorade commercials
with the people sweating blue
and red Gatorade
- Maleek
F. Estate my House
Mom – sitting in her room doing hair
Oldest sister – yelling at younger sister
Youngest sister – yelling back at oldest
Dad – come home from work yells at sisters
Brother – cleaning up our room
Me – play the game laugh and tease at youngers, on and on and on allnight long.
Dogs bark all day dog drama
Computer on all night
TV on for two hours straight
See Halloweens decorations
Room looks a mess.
Lights on all night long
- Timothy
Hastings
The houses look like they are haunted.
The kids look like they are statues.
The adults are running like it is a race.
The roads look like they are dark and dusk.
The vehicles are going very slow like they don’t know everybody.
The other people on the streets are lying on the ground.
The city feel like it is a bright sun just coming up.
The ditches are so deep thatthey look like they never end.
The grass is like it is too short.
- Zack
Flagler Estates
Dirty, muddy, kids
I don’t like
Boring, Dead, Depressing
Me, my cousins at my
house on the weekend
playing football, playing games,sitting down talking
- Marlon
I see CJ walking down mainstreet eating
Willie sit in his chair at Rec.
Bryanna sleeps with her head down on the couch.
Stephan is looking at
Bryanna write sentences.
Mrs. Singleton is sitting at her
desk eating chips.
Marlon is sitting down playing the game.
Harkia is sitting with
her back to mine.
The office is a gaping door of silence.
The library is a fun safe place for kids
CJ and Bryanna hold hands on the couch.
- Willie
There are sleeping mummies draping around.
While there are raining rats and bats.
There’s rotten potatoes floating around.
While there’s swimming cats and cows.
- Stefan
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Inspired by Marianne Moore's poem, "The Fish"
The
fish galloping peaceful.
ducking & tucking,
in the deep
and
shallow, avoiding
and causing
trouble.
Looking
for food &
shelter.
- Stefan
The eagle
Soaring
through the air
like a heron trying to
find fish, like
a
big and fat tuna
fish swimming in the
water which is blue,
like
the sky but the
eagle gets confused
so he thinks that
he
gets a fish but he
bites a satellite
but it zaps
him
for almost an hour
until he lets go
like he got cooked,
like
new as fried
chicken on
a Sunday
night.
dinner plates
with marble
and glass
that
you can clean
all night.
- Maleek
The Pit bull!
Standing
there with her broad
shoulder waiting to take
charge to get her food
like
a furious bull at a
rodeo.
- Charles
The snake
Slither
cruising on the ground
enormous big veins
patterns on the back
Bites
lovely kids on couple’s
television thing being evil
killing kids it’s
Brutal
lives in holes and
slither through the
night and water
guess who
snack
- Tim
The Moon
Sleepy
never up in the middle
of the day only at night
very shiny at night
a sleepy head sometime
but give u light at night
- Bryanna
The
fish galloping peaceful.
ducking & tucking,
in the deep
and
shallow, avoiding
and causing
trouble.
Looking
for food &
shelter.
- Stefan
The eagle
Soaring
through the air
like a heron trying to
find fish, like
a
big and fat tuna
fish swimming in the
water which is blue,
like
the sky but the
eagle gets confused
so he thinks that
he
gets a fish but he
bites a satellite
but it zaps
him
for almost an hour
until he lets go
like he got cooked,
like
new as fried
chicken on
a Sunday
night.
dinner plates
with marble
and glass
that
you can clean
all night.
- Maleek
The Pit bull!
Standing
there with her broad
shoulder waiting to take
charge to get her food
like
a furious bull at a
rodeo.
- Charles
The snake
Slither
cruising on the ground
enormous big veins
patterns on the back
Bites
lovely kids on couple’s
television thing being evil
killing kids it’s
Brutal
lives in holes and
slither through the
night and water
guess who
snack
- Tim
The Moon
Sleepy
never up in the middle
of the day only at night
very shiny at night
a sleepy head sometime
but give u light at night
- Bryanna
Monday, September 21, 2009
Our grandparents
I asked the students to imagine their grandparents or parents as children. What did they do? What did they dream of? What kind of children were they?
Picking taters
I remember those day when
my grandad had made us work
in his field we were picking
tater, and cabbages it was
hot I think it was during
the summer.
I think he made us
do it because had to
do it so I didn’t say
no mumbojumbo
- Joshua
My Grandmammy!
When Betty was little she probably
talked on the phone all times of
night.
She didn’t have a boyfriend
because they always use to
fight.
She probably had a bad attitude.
and to the teachers she would
be rude.
She probably didn’t participate
in p.e.
trying to be fast
and got a “F” in class!
She probably gave her
parents a hard time.
that’s why it’s so hard
to make this rhyme.
- Deraje
Kid dad
My Dad as a kid:
He was a skinny little boy
He looked like a basketball player
He helped work on any automobile with his
dad
He didn’t’ play pool a lot
Now he is 41 years old
- Zack
G-ma world
When my Grandma
was a child she was
the most silliest girl,
she loved to have fun
and jump rope they say
she knew every jump
rope song. She really
wasn’t all into the boys
she got her education
before she worried about
boys. She had a lot of brothers
& sisters. They use to fight
each other all the time, and
then be back talking in
5 mins. At the moment
my grandma she’s a little
cranky but can still be
silly at times I love my grandma
- Harkia
to my Grandma
When my Grandma was little she wanted to work for old people.
and she kept on calling her mom so she can do it right
so when she was 15 she bought a car and drove to
work. and when she got to work she jumped out of her
car she had a big smile. and when she walked in everybody
said hello. But she was kind of scared to walk in the eating
room buy everybody stared at her but she stared back. So they
took her to the first room 1909 but the old lady was
sleeping with her covers over her head. So she
tapped on her about like 5 times but she didn’t wake
up so she went home and fell asleep.
- Shayla
My Grandmom as a girl
This all started at St.
Augustine where my grandmom
live when she was a little girl.
I image her in a nice yellow
dress with flowers and skipping
down the street with her
friends playing hopscotch,
double dunking, or maybe
playing ball, then I can
image her mom calling
her for dinner and running
because it smells so good.
after that image her eating
fried chicken with the mash potatoes
and gravy with a small side
of mac-n-cheese with a nice
glass of milk then when the
day is gone I image her changing
in her white night gown
in her own room sound
asleep dreaming to be a singer.
- Jessica
My granddaddy lived in South Carolina
and met my grandmother in Jacksonville
at a party. Now today he lives
in St. Augustine on the west side with
half of my family around there.
- Marlon
My cousin was once a
little boy who struggle
with school when he was
a little boy but now he
is in college with ab honor
roll on ever report card.
He made to college by
stop hanging around
the wrong crowd and
he didn’t want to go
anywhere unless his
work was done his
friends thought down on
him but he come out
an winner.
- Charles
When my grandfather was little he
was a construction worker he plumbed he
said that he had to plumb because
his mom and dad told him to I think
that it was hard work because
what do you think do you think
it would be hard if you had to
do that well I think it would be
hard. I think my Grandfather
was a good man. He just was.
- Zachary
When my Great Grandpa was
little he always wanted to
join the army he
liked to play with his toy
trains. He always does his
homework.
- Ryan
When my grandmom was little
she love to make potatoes.
She love to eat potatoes.
she love to cut them up
and boil the. When she went
to school she love to make
friends. One day she went
to school and the friends she
made were not her friend
anymore. So she was very
sad so se was crying. So
they picked on her. So
she ran home and ran to
her room. So when she grew up
she work at the Greater she
love to work there. She had
people work with her. They
helped my grandma cut up the
potatoes so she paid them
20 dollars every week. They
put the potatoes in a big
white bag that had a horse
on it the horse was brown.
- Kayla
When my grandma was a little girl
she was sweet and nice to everyone
she knew and she always said she
wanted to work at a barbershop
she always dreamed of being a
professional hair person she said to
her mom can you teach me how to
do hair. I would love to learn how.
- Brianna
My grandma was once a gal
When my grandma was
young she said that she used
to fight little boys at school
and on the road, my grandma
is funny all my aunties my
grandma sisters are very nice at
some points but they are all
loud at any time of the day
my family is on a rollercoaster
ride that won’t stop
- Bryanna
My grandma was a hair dresser
she was always doing a perfect
job at doing someone’s hair
when I was little she
braided my hair and made
me look perfect and dressed
up, like I said that’s my
grandma and she was
doing people’s hair perfect.
- Deashon
My Dad
I imagine my dad playing
Monopoly twenty four seven and
going to KFC getting and
stealing coleslaw when he
was about my age I also
imagine him staying up late
partying and playing games
and his mom getting on to
him and him waking up on
Saturday going to the bus
stop wondering where the
bus is I imagine
- Logan
My Grandpa
I imagine my grandpa sitting on a
horse wearing black jeans and a long-sleeve
shirt and boots
I imagine my grandpa climbing lots
of trees
I imagine my grandpa at school
with all his friends playing on
the playground.
I imagine my grandpa hunting and
exploring new things.
- Amber
My Grandma
I imagine my grandma in a
beautiful red dress with flowers
in her hair playing with the
gentle cows in the flowery field.
- Amber
My granddaddy
When my granddaddy was 5 he was
a person who would always would
clean and mow his lawn and cut
trees for his dad and mother every
day at 3:00pm to 12:00am until his
mother told him to stop for a break, he
always said he had a 4 minute break
then he went back to business
for another 5 hours of the day
- Maleek
Picking taters
I remember those day when
my grandad had made us work
in his field we were picking
tater, and cabbages it was
hot I think it was during
the summer.
I think he made us
do it because had to
do it so I didn’t say
no mumbojumbo
- Joshua
My Grandmammy!
When Betty was little she probably
talked on the phone all times of
night.
She didn’t have a boyfriend
because they always use to
fight.
She probably had a bad attitude.
and to the teachers she would
be rude.
She probably didn’t participate
in p.e.
trying to be fast
and got a “F” in class!
She probably gave her
parents a hard time.
that’s why it’s so hard
to make this rhyme.
- Deraje
Kid dad
My Dad as a kid:
He was a skinny little boy
He looked like a basketball player
He helped work on any automobile with his
dad
He didn’t’ play pool a lot
Now he is 41 years old
- Zack
G-ma world
When my Grandma
was a child she was
the most silliest girl,
she loved to have fun
and jump rope they say
she knew every jump
rope song. She really
wasn’t all into the boys
she got her education
before she worried about
boys. She had a lot of brothers
& sisters. They use to fight
each other all the time, and
then be back talking in
5 mins. At the moment
my grandma she’s a little
cranky but can still be
silly at times I love my grandma
- Harkia
to my Grandma
When my Grandma was little she wanted to work for old people.
and she kept on calling her mom so she can do it right
so when she was 15 she bought a car and drove to
work. and when she got to work she jumped out of her
car she had a big smile. and when she walked in everybody
said hello. But she was kind of scared to walk in the eating
room buy everybody stared at her but she stared back. So they
took her to the first room 1909 but the old lady was
sleeping with her covers over her head. So she
tapped on her about like 5 times but she didn’t wake
up so she went home and fell asleep.
- Shayla
My Grandmom as a girl
This all started at St.
Augustine where my grandmom
live when she was a little girl.
I image her in a nice yellow
dress with flowers and skipping
down the street with her
friends playing hopscotch,
double dunking, or maybe
playing ball, then I can
image her mom calling
her for dinner and running
because it smells so good.
after that image her eating
fried chicken with the mash potatoes
and gravy with a small side
of mac-n-cheese with a nice
glass of milk then when the
day is gone I image her changing
in her white night gown
in her own room sound
asleep dreaming to be a singer.
- Jessica
My granddaddy lived in South Carolina
and met my grandmother in Jacksonville
at a party. Now today he lives
in St. Augustine on the west side with
half of my family around there.
- Marlon
My cousin was once a
little boy who struggle
with school when he was
a little boy but now he
is in college with ab honor
roll on ever report card.
He made to college by
stop hanging around
the wrong crowd and
he didn’t want to go
anywhere unless his
work was done his
friends thought down on
him but he come out
an winner.
- Charles
When my grandfather was little he
was a construction worker he plumbed he
said that he had to plumb because
his mom and dad told him to I think
that it was hard work because
what do you think do you think
it would be hard if you had to
do that well I think it would be
hard. I think my Grandfather
was a good man. He just was.
- Zachary
When my Great Grandpa was
little he always wanted to
join the army he
liked to play with his toy
trains. He always does his
homework.
- Ryan
When my grandmom was little
she love to make potatoes.
She love to eat potatoes.
she love to cut them up
and boil the. When she went
to school she love to make
friends. One day she went
to school and the friends she
made were not her friend
anymore. So she was very
sad so se was crying. So
they picked on her. So
she ran home and ran to
her room. So when she grew up
she work at the Greater she
love to work there. She had
people work with her. They
helped my grandma cut up the
potatoes so she paid them
20 dollars every week. They
put the potatoes in a big
white bag that had a horse
on it the horse was brown.
- Kayla
When my grandma was a little girl
she was sweet and nice to everyone
she knew and she always said she
wanted to work at a barbershop
she always dreamed of being a
professional hair person she said to
her mom can you teach me how to
do hair. I would love to learn how.
- Brianna
My grandma was once a gal
When my grandma was
young she said that she used
to fight little boys at school
and on the road, my grandma
is funny all my aunties my
grandma sisters are very nice at
some points but they are all
loud at any time of the day
my family is on a rollercoaster
ride that won’t stop
- Bryanna
My grandma was a hair dresser
she was always doing a perfect
job at doing someone’s hair
when I was little she
braided my hair and made
me look perfect and dressed
up, like I said that’s my
grandma and she was
doing people’s hair perfect.
- Deashon
My Dad
I imagine my dad playing
Monopoly twenty four seven and
going to KFC getting and
stealing coleslaw when he
was about my age I also
imagine him staying up late
partying and playing games
and his mom getting on to
him and him waking up on
Saturday going to the bus
stop wondering where the
bus is I imagine
- Logan
My Grandpa
I imagine my grandpa sitting on a
horse wearing black jeans and a long-sleeve
shirt and boots
I imagine my grandpa climbing lots
of trees
I imagine my grandpa at school
with all his friends playing on
the playground.
I imagine my grandpa hunting and
exploring new things.
- Amber
My Grandma
I imagine my grandma in a
beautiful red dress with flowers
in her hair playing with the
gentle cows in the flowery field.
- Amber
My granddaddy
When my granddaddy was 5 he was
a person who would always would
clean and mow his lawn and cut
trees for his dad and mother every
day at 3:00pm to 12:00am until his
mother told him to stop for a break, he
always said he had a 4 minute break
then he went back to business
for another 5 hours of the day
- Maleek
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
We're Back
For the third year!
Many thanks to Flagler College Creative Writing and English Major Sarah Wallace who will be busy assisting me this year on the blog. So many poems!
Great things to happen. We started with some quiet poems based on D.H. Lawrence's "White Horse."
All the animals
I think the quiet thing is
you and me and a frog
and a horse and white rose
- July, 2nd
Quiet is like a meadow floating around your
head. Quiet is like a storm around your
room. Quiet is shhh stop talking. Quiet is
nature. Quiet is a garden. Quiet is a word.
Quiet is quiet.
- Teretha, 5th
Wow all I can hear is the leaves dropping to the ground
and the squirrels chewing on their nuts and a rhythm
going through my body.
- Ashlynn, 2nd
I can hear my mom slicing her ham and the
fan and the wind going through my hair and my sister
quietly trying to sing.
- Ashlynn, 2nd
A very quiet moment is when I look in
my dad’s eyes oops…I’m in trouble why
did you tell on me.
- Ashlynn, 2nd
And, a few poems that were accidentally forgotten from June:
a poem is peaceful and it has a
lot of expressing. A poem a story that
is some sad but some are glad.
a poem is peaceful like when the
sun sets.
- Ryan B. 2nd
A Poem Works
A poem is strong it is fit it
works out every day and night
and it never sleeps it is restless
it will work work to the
end of the universe!
- Nathan, 4th
I am the beach waves crashing
& winding back up again, I am
the blue sky playing with my puppet
clouds. I am the white water sparkling
like the sun. I am the air that
smells like grass. I am the stars in the
sky that twinkle & point to the moon. I am
the wind that whooshes in the night.
I am the bright morning star that
twinkles every morning. I am not a
tree in the swamp. I am not the
lightening that flashes through the sky.
I want to be the horse I see
running. I want to be the
fish swooshing through the water.
I want to be the salty air of the
ocean.
- Jacob S, 2nd
Many thanks to Flagler College Creative Writing and English Major Sarah Wallace who will be busy assisting me this year on the blog. So many poems!
Great things to happen. We started with some quiet poems based on D.H. Lawrence's "White Horse."
All the animals
I think the quiet thing is
you and me and a frog
and a horse and white rose
- July, 2nd
Quiet is like a meadow floating around your
head. Quiet is like a storm around your
room. Quiet is shhh stop talking. Quiet is
nature. Quiet is a garden. Quiet is a word.
Quiet is quiet.
- Teretha, 5th
Wow all I can hear is the leaves dropping to the ground
and the squirrels chewing on their nuts and a rhythm
going through my body.
- Ashlynn, 2nd
I can hear my mom slicing her ham and the
fan and the wind going through my hair and my sister
quietly trying to sing.
- Ashlynn, 2nd
A very quiet moment is when I look in
my dad’s eyes oops…I’m in trouble why
did you tell on me.
- Ashlynn, 2nd
And, a few poems that were accidentally forgotten from June:
a poem is peaceful and it has a
lot of expressing. A poem a story that
is some sad but some are glad.
a poem is peaceful like when the
sun sets.
- Ryan B. 2nd
A Poem Works
A poem is strong it is fit it
works out every day and night
and it never sleeps it is restless
it will work work to the
end of the universe!
- Nathan, 4th
I am the beach waves crashing
& winding back up again, I am
the blue sky playing with my puppet
clouds. I am the white water sparkling
like the sun. I am the air that
smells like grass. I am the stars in the
sky that twinkle & point to the moon. I am
the wind that whooshes in the night.
I am the bright morning star that
twinkles every morning. I am not a
tree in the swamp. I am not the
lightening that flashes through the sky.
I want to be the horse I see
running. I want to be the
fish swooshing through the water.
I want to be the salty air of the
ocean.
- Jacob S, 2nd
Friday, June 19, 2009
Congratulations, South Woods Elementary School!
With the exception of my middle schoolers (Gamble Rogers Middle), most of the poems you've read on this blog are from children who attend South Woods Elementary School in Hastings. It was just announced that the school raised its grade from a "C" in 2006, a "B" in 2008....to an "A" this year!
Great work staff, instructors and of course, students. We're proud of you.
Read about it here.
Great work staff, instructors and of course, students. We're proud of you.
Read about it here.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Window Shopping for Poems
Take a walk in the St. Augustine humidity and sunshine down to San Marco Avenue and do a little window shopping this week. Not only can you purchase Juice up the True Say at the St. Johns Cultural Council's Art Advocate, you can read poems from our next volume: Juiced II, Where We're From, (which I'm at work on right now). The poems are arranged all along the windows, so stop in for a sneak peek!
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