Last Blog of the Year: Voice Poems

After 19 lessons, and 19 weeks of literacy programming, we are now at a end at Walter Reed Magnet Cluster School. Yes, it's been a wonderful ride and not without the support of staff and the students, (and teachers). We have written using personification, free verse, onamatopoeia, similes, metaphors, structured units, using musicality, and emotion!

We've had some great lessons, some learning lessons, some lessons that we "scratched our heads" but overall, students were exposed to a diverse group of poems, poets and lessons.

Today's lesson we focused on Voices, and writing using the element of voice.

My Mad Voice
Jauron M.
3rd Grade

When I get mad, my voice gets deep like the middle of the Red sea.
When I get happy, I sing very loud.

When My Voice Ran Away
Tiffany A.
3rd Grade

I lost my voice.
It ran away.
Far, far, far away.
I worry about it.
I cry at night.
I heard my sister's voice.
She is saying, "Ha Ha Ha."
I want to say "Ha Ha Ha."
but I can't because I lost my voice.
I heard my nephew's voice.
He is saying "Ha Ha" too.
I wish I had my voice back.
My wish came true and I had some pay back.

My Voice
Keora H.
3rd Grade

My voice is deep like a lion.
My voice is nice like a bird.
My voice is soft.
My voice is loud.
My voice is deep.
My voice is deep like a dinosaur.
My voice sounds like Keyshia Cole.
My voice is nice.
My voice talks.
My voice speaks.
My voice sings.
My voice asks questions.
My voice reads.
My voice can do math.
My voice can do science.
My voice is good.

Untitled
Nayshawn E.
8th Grade

When I sleep
I hear voices
When I sleep
I hear noises

I hear chatter in
a box
I hear people playing
dots

I am happy
Sometimes sad
but I rather be sad
than mad

A Person
David B.
8th Grade

A person might be lame
That thinks they have game
They should feel ashamed
they might be in the hall of fame
or their career might end up in flames
They came to be a person
but it is just the same
but still know my name is "David"
just don't take blame
A person can talk
and don't know how to walk.

I lift my voice
Danielle S.
8th Grade

I lift my voice
to sing
to sing God's praises
I lift my voice
to speak to the people
to give a speech to the people
I lift my voice
to renounce the star spangle banner
I lift my voice
to put smiles on people's faces
to light up the gates of heaven
I lift my voice
to pray
in my job
in my home
in my church
all day long
I lift my voice

Untitled
Kwanisha B.
8th Grade

I always hear my Grandmother's
voice in my head saying
"Never give up!"
She always say,
"Kwanisha, never give up. You're gonna
make it. You are a wonderful person,
you have a whole future ahead of you.
Don't just let one little thing bring you down.
Keep your head up high 'cause you 're gonna
make it."

The Voice of Englewood
Lavontae C.
5th / 6th Grade

Sometimes I want to escape.
The voice of Englewood.
I can't escape it.
This is my home.
If I do, we might be living in a dome.
The noise of animals.
The birds chirping.
It is loud,
but I have to face it.
This is my home.
I won't fake it.

The Voice in the Hood
Harold T.
5th / 6th Grade

The voice in the hood doesn't have to be bad.
The voice in the hood doesn't have to be mad.
The voice in the hood could be good.
The voice in the hood should be good.
The voice could be nice.
It could even skate on ice.
The voice is good like it should be.
You should be good like I know you could be.

A Lot of Voices
Around Me
Mark W.
5th / 6th Grade

When I'm walking through Englewood.
I heard high voices.
Low voices.
They're here.
They're everywhere.
I hear cursing and hollering everywhere.
Nonstop.
I hear so many voices my head might pop.
Deep voices.
Light voices.
They're all around me.
When will it stop?
It's so annoying.
But I'm going to keep walking till I get to my
destination.
Singing and talking in my head.
Man, it sounds like the end of a presentation.
But I keep walking, walking and walking.
Man if they don't stop, I'm going to start hollering.
But now, they're quiet.
What happened to their voices?
Now it's getting scary.
I don't understand.
Why did all of their voices stop when
the police made a command?

We hoped you enjoyed reading most if not ALL of the poems from this school's year. Please check back by October 2008 for more poems from this school. We definitely encourage you to read poems with your children and WRITE poems!

Have a great summer.

Pamela Osbey
Poet-In-Residence
Poetry Center of Chicago

Organically Speaking

Some poems come from deep lessons on learning poetic techniques. Some poems are inspired by one word or several words that may pop in a writer's mind. Today's class were combinations of both techniques. Discussions about life and the world around the students inspired the poems written by the students at Walter Reed.

I welcome you to their jazzy, contemplative, diverse poetic world.

*This is the next to the LAST blog for the year 2007-2008 at Walter Reed Magnet Cluster School*

Try My Life
Tunya C. - 8th Grade

Come walk in my shoes
and feel my sorrow.
and feel the abuse I went through.
Sometimes you just don't know what people been in or through.
So won't you just come and try my life?
Don't be afraid to just say you were wrong.
A lot of people are very emotional about things you say.
Most people have been to hell and back.
Don't try to judge my book cover just come
and try my life.
One day I might be the next, most..youngest richest teen.
It's not that you might not care,
maybe it's because you have no self respect.
Too much doubt on yourself.
Live in somebody else's shoes
and just try their life.

Motherless Children
Tyrone H. - 8th Grade

I can't believe the
amount of motherless children
it's just terrible.

It's like every new day
a new mother motherless child.

Looking at motherless children
just makes me sad
makes me feel sorry.

Do you know what a mother could do for you.
A lot.

I wish I could help motherless children
and someday I will.

In the Iraq War
Ryan G. - 8th Grade

In the Iraq War, there's nothing going on.
In the Iraq War, people are dying.
In the Iraq War, our soldiers are suffering.
In the Iraq War, oil is all we are there for.
In the Iraq War, our president is Professor in a study called DEATH.
In the Iraq War, four score years ago, it wasn't happened because our
forefathers wouldn't let it happen.

Untitled
Darrious C. - 8th Grade

What I hate is black on black crime.
Clear yo mind, let's reunite.
Let's not fight.
We are all we have.
So let's just sit down without a frown and wear a crown
like the Queens and Kings we are.
We are we.
Now you are a star.
So show it...don't blow.
So get this poem
and show me that you know it.

The 8th/7th grade classes had to write a free verse poem using one word or theme to start the poem and building around the theme of atrocities or horrible things they'd love to see fixed. They came up with their own fabulous poems based upon a discussion in the class.


Dear Bee
Nikia S. - 3rd Grade

Do you miss me?
We used to be close friends but now we're not.
I miss the way you used to stand up for me.
Can we still be friends?
P.S. I love you.

From,
Mouse

Dear Moon
Diangelo W.

I miss you so much.
I wish you never left.
You are my best friend.
I miss your pretty smile.
I like when we used to meet
together and we will melt.
We used to always play together.
You should have never left.

From the Sun to the Moon

Dear Dog
Detric S.

Hello dog, ready to run?
I'll be there at 1:00.
I want you to clean your fur.
I am going to get cat food and dog food.
I'm going to my vet and I am going to get our fur cleaned.
Come to the open dog house.
Dog, let's play fetch.
Dog, let's run around in the grass.
Let's watch the sun go down together.
Let's eat together.
Let's wake up together.
Let's drink together.
Let's jump together.
Let's scratch together.

Love,
Cat

Untitled
Vaughn F. - 5th/6th Grade

I miss the moon.
Do the moon miss me?
I love the moon.
The moon loves me.
There it shines so bright all beautiful.
Shine down on us.

From the Mouse
To the Elephant
Ramone A. - 5th / 6th Grade

I'm supposed to see you.
You told me a week ago.
Did you get lost?
I gave you a map.
My parents got home today.
Come after they come from breakfast.
All the cats are back from the store,
so we must stay in the hole.

Friends,
The Mouse

Dear Hair
Ezell S.

I miss putting me on your hair.
I miss roping up around your hair.
I miss the way your hair smells.
It smelled like shampoo and sometimes Wild Cherry.
I miss putting your hair in a ponytail the way it was
fluffy still.

From your favorite rubber band

The approach for the lower grades was to read "Letter to a Bee" and discuss personification and use it in a free verse poem in a letter format. Students could choose anything two things to compare and write from one perspective / thing to another one.

We're happy you took time to read the poems and have a great day!

Pam Osbey
Artist in Resident
@ Walter Reed Magnet Cluster Elementary School