Last Blog of the Year: Free Verse & Voice Poems

We topped off the last units in each class with different poetic vibes. Theoretically speaking, Kozminski has gotten a lot out of the lessons, this year, as in past. Some students I have taught, have younger siblings also being taught by me, including : Terri (8th Grade - Collins-Jones) and Terrell Hall (1st Grade - Sims); Stephanie (1st grade - Sims) and Quenturha Elmore (4 grade - Forsell) and the Haynes (Joi, The POET OF THE YEAR, who is in 8th Grade) and her younger sibling that I teach in Sims first Grade class.

8th Graders wrote a free verse poem of their choice, using the usually poetic tools of similes, metaphors, repetition and telling a good story or asking questions, in their WILD CARD poems.

4th Graders and 1st Graders read "I Lost My Voice" and wrote response poems.

On behalf of the Poetry Center, I truly hope you enjoyed reading the poems below. These are the last poems for this year at Kozminski. Please check back in October 2008 for the next year's poetry samples which I am sure will be delightful.

Why?
Michelle G.
8th Grade

Why?
Must people die.
Why?
Must people cry.
Why?
Must we hate each other.
Why?
Must we lost our father and mother.
Why?
Does the girl cry herself to sleep.
Why?
Wasn't my dad around except for
when he wanted to be laid down.
Why?
Is this world so violent.
I don't know, but I wish we would stop this.

End of the Year
Leah C.
8th Grade

I know it's the end.
It'll be here in 1 and 1/2 months.
I can feel the victory of me moving on.
Going to my new school away from others.
It's almost summer.
Hot days outside.
I know it's the end of the year.
Boy, I'll be glad.

There's No Tears on Your Shoulder
Joi H.
(POET OF THE YEAR @ KOZMINSKI ACADEMY)
8th Grade

The world never stops.
The pain never stops.
The hurt never stops.
There's always someone in hurt, someone in pain.
There's never enough justice, this world is insane pain.
But have you ever stop to think the desperate yelp?
No, the only one you're concerned about right?
You're the only person you think about at night.
"Does my hair look alright?"
"Why Am I In Trouble"
You're always on your own grind 2 times the double.
But hey why should you care right?
No, that's wrong.
The list of reasons why, just goes on and on, so long.
The tears never stop, they just go, and flow, and ride.
But you just keep playing around, you aren't on anyone's side.
You're on the road of ignorance, you're so foolish and vain.
Do you even care about the people in pain?
What if you were the yelp for help?
Would you care then?
I bet you would, cause they wouldn't be how they've been.
But you don't care now, cause your ignorance is getting older and older.
But then again, why should you.
There's no tears on your shoulder.
The fate of the world is in the eye of the beholder.


VOICE POEMS

My Sad Day
with Voice
Monica M.
4th Grade

My voice is sad when someone in my family dies.
My voice don't say nothing at all.
Man, when my voice will come back.
Never...
It's sad today.
Please, voice, don't be mad at me.
I just don't want to talk.
I need my space today.
But you know what?
Tommorrow we may be..back on schedule.

My Voice
Kashae W.
4th Grade

My voice, my voice, my voice.
My voice is loud.
My voice is clear.
My voice is not to be weird.
My voice is cool.
Sometimes white.
But this voice is gong to sleep tonight.
My voice, my voice, my voice.
My voice is loud.
My voice is clear.
My voice is not to be weird.

Voices
Jacari G.
4th Grade

My voice is confident.
My voice tone is soft.
My voice is everywhere.
Voices sounded my voice.
So loud, screaming and hollering.
I can't hear my talking.
I can't hear its melody.
My melody is in my voice.
My sound, my sound is not in my voice.
I have lost my voice.

Voices of the Traveler
Chrishon B.
4th Grade

I hear voices of road trips or
flying voices.
Road trips voices are music around me.
Window down and breeze in my face.
My turtle crawling on my leg.
Flying voices I hear nothing.
Peacefully quiet and calm ride.

A Voice That Made Me
Gabrielle P.
4th Grade

The voice sounds like a mad
halking truck.
It screams banging hard on your eardrums.
It scratches.
But when that voice loves me, it's not hard
to ignore.
It's my Mom.
That's the voice that made me
and I can't ignore.

I Can't Find My Voice
ImaniNia
1st Grade

Where is my voice?
I looked every where.
I looked in the bathroom.
I looked in the toilet.
I also looked in my cat's stomach.

I Lost Voice
Ariel T.
1st Grade

I lost voice
by somebody
putting their imaginary
hand on my throat.
I can't speak.
I can't laugh.
The only thing I can do is nothing.

My Dog Lost His Voice
Jalen J.
1st Grade

My dog voice was gone.
My dog looked for his voice.
He found it in his Dog house, asleep.

******

Congratulations to all the students who were able to write this year in Ms. Collins-Jones, Mrs. Sims, and Ms. Forsell's classes. I enjoyed you all. Have a great summer and see you later this month for our culminating event.

Thanks to the Poetry Center of Chicago for returning me to my elementary school, Kozminski Community Academy.

Pam Osbey
Poet-In-Resident

I Dream / I Wish

Using the brush of imagination and various poems, students discussed the themes of wishes and dreams today. Using different means, the 8th, 4th and 1st Graders used free verse, repetition and their own original thoughts to script poems. 8th Graders focused on love, life, graduations, and their futures. 4th graders had whimsical poems about colors of things inside their wishes and poems, 1st graders wrote about 'riches' and wanting money to buy things.

Mrs. Sims Class:

# 1

I wish that poor people would have a better life.
I wish my uncle came back alive.
I wish that I was smarter.

Terrell H.

# 2

I wish to be rich and to get me a new house
and to buy me some new shoes.
and I am really cool.
I am cooler than you.
You are not better.

Joshua H.

# 3

My dream is the world in peace and quiet.
No people talking.
No birds tweeting.
Just peace and quiet.
And that's all.

Whitney D.

# 4

I wish that peace was in the world.

Hakeem B.

Ms. Collins - Jones Class:

# 1

My Wishes
by Terry H.

I wish my uncles was still here.
I wish that person didn't shoot him.
I wish my cousin didn't have to leave.
I wish I had the strength and the power to bring
them back.
I wish I could go back in time.
I wish my family wouldn't have to suffer the sorrow.
My wishes are simple, at least to me.
I wish we could live together.
Man, uncles, I miss you so much.
I wish I knew why....
I wish I didn't have to wonder why?
As time goes by, maybe I'll understand
but now I'll just wish.
I love you uncle..
R.I.P.
You were loved by many.

# 2

Many People Dream
by Nathaniel S.

Many people dream of being boss.
They dream of things that may not happen in their life.
They dream of people and life.
They dream of being the Mayor and to make it rain.
They dream of the struggle, they are going through.

# 3

I Dream
Brianna H.

Dream!
Dreams are what your heart desire.
Either dream of gold or money, it's what you dream.

I dream of a better place
where I can be myself
and enjoy the fresh air.

A place where not only the world is black
but in all different colors.

I dream of large sunsets that over reach my face
as I sit on the sand and enjoy a fresh breeze of
water splash on my feet.

Not only do I dream of that but to have my life
of a star...
and to see a world different than what I see.

Ms. Forsell's Class:

# 1

I Dream
by Jacari G.

I dream purple soup swooshing
in the clouds.
I dream an orange dog eating
gray tacos.
My dreams are crazy.
Wild.
I dream brown bats in my house.
I dream white monkeys eating black watermelons.
I dream, I dream, I dream.

# 2

Love is My Wish
by Darian S.

I wish for peace and love to come
across this world.
Love.
Is it peace?Is it hatred?
Or is it just me?
Everybody should have something to love,
a friends, your mom, or your pet.
Love is my wish
and command to my love in this world.
Love is my heart
and most people in the world.

# 3

My Wish
Jaasiel R.

Once upon a time I said
this ...
I wish I cold have a pink pony
that carries an orange radio
I would feel so happy.
My pony can and it will play music forever.
and it will run over anyone who tries to
turn it off.
My pony can fly,
swim,
and even sing on April Fool's Day.
It can even play pranks on anybody.
It wants...and then I can play pranks
and even scare him...
But when I woke up, it was all a dream.
Then it happened again.

# 4

The Dream of my Life
Gabrielle P.

I dream of a rainbow pony.
I would love it,
care for it like no other animal.
It would be my friend, my best friend.
I'll spoil it.
Some people say if I spoil something's
it wants to make it in the world.
Its strong in the inside.