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