Hands On Stanzas

Trees!

3rd graders at Alcott Elementary were thinking spring thoughts...they read William Carlos Williams' "The Locust Tree in Flower," and looked at pictures of trees to inspire their own tree poems.

So sweet

so bright

nice and big

a little old

but that's alright

it's so stiff

and that's what I like

it's pretty spirit shows

in May

it grows up

up

up

from the tall green grass.

-         Hiba

Young Baby Tree

    Small.

    Cold.

    alone

    in Winter

         snow is falling.

            No one

plays with me any more!

            Not Oak.

           Not Tulip

         Not even

Pagoda Dogwood

            I'm stiff.

        And sad.

            My moss is falling off.

         This

         is

          winter all alone.

                 - Marissa

How ancient

you are.

How long

have you lived?

Who did you play with

when you were two?

How ancient you are.

How long have you lived?

-         Philip

The tree growing on Wahoo land

I am picking

While the fruit is ticking

the colors of the berries

change around while I turn around

The tree talks and here

is what it says

Wahoo Jahoo the tree is doing

The caca it lives in the

World of Bamboo!!!!!!!!!!!

-         Zoe

Oak tree

Oak tree

you

are nice

There's nothing better

Thank you

you

are

The best

you

provide

shade

Thank you

for

being planted

by a

glade of grass

Why

can't

it

be

summer

            - Elliott

DH Lawrence Lesson

A lesson Margaret Chapman used at Burroughs:

They read two DH Lawrence poems, "The White Horse," and "Nothing to Save." They spoke about images of extremese and of non-visual sensation--the horse and the boy being an image of silence, and the eye of the violet being an image of smallness and stillness. They students were asked to think of the quietest place they could think of, and then to try to describe it as much as possible, including what it sounded like. Then they were asked to think of the smallest thing they could think of and then to write what could be inside it. Here are a few examples:

I was in the cloudes
I saw my fried
I was happy to see her
She had a box
in the box was a seed
in the seed was a plant. Nancy G., 3rd grade

I walk out by myself and saw invisible
things. And I imagine that was not
true but it was.

I know smallest things are
true there are a lot of them,
Like a seed and it has something in it
it has a wiggly thing. Veronica M., 3rd grade

Ideas of Ancestry

Recently at Alcott Elementary School, 3rd, 6th, and 8th graders read Margaret Walker's "Lineage," and part of Etheridge Knight's "Idea of Ancestry." They wrote their own poems of family...

Grumpy

My grandmothers were always

Grumpy. tired and hungry. always

mad for nothing. never smiling.

The memories are thoughtless.

with the smell of soap and stank.

lazy and tired.

my grandmothers were grumpy.

            never smiling or laughing.

dead old and boring. Always

drinking beer and yelling. She

hated every holiday and wonder

why the making.

my grandmothers were grumpy.

            saying life is boring why live

it. A new baby boy came to

earth. She blew in his face with

steam. Then she would say get

that baby out of my face before

I thro that thing.

My grandmothers were grumpy.

I am glad that they are not me.

-          Cherron (6th grade)

My grandma is strong

Ice cream going on my hand

Melting from the sun here

I am melting melting

through my hand. Grandma

you are so strong

wipe my hands so the ice

cream will be gone.

-          Skylar (3rd grade)

Goddess

My grandmas were courageous

never let anything break them down

like a steel wall and bullets can’t break it.

Strong like a body builder

On the inside on out.

Caring, loveable, smart, forgiving

My grandmothers are courageous.

They told me some stories when they were young

Christians, go to church each Sunday

inspiring me to do the same

idols, of my family

goddess of the world

my grandmothers are courageous

Tell me are yours?

-          Bria May (8th grade)

My grandfather is a working man

as he walks in a town in mexico

he is walking on bare feet

does not care for pain or for hurt

he does this as he works

he does not stop, he keeps on going all night and day until he

gets paid.

my grandfather is a working man.

-    Logan (6th grade)

My grandma is a cook

while she chops the onions

chops the garlic, an odd smell

comes into the room.

While she talks to me about cooking

I see how swiftly her hands move,

she cuts shrimp, boils water

I watch her cook I don’t bother.

She prepares a meal for everyone

she pours wine in my mother’s cup,

she decorates the table with purple

and black

she pull grandpa’s steak back

she puts rice on his plate

while I sit down and listen to her

first date.

-          Myliah (6th grade)

A Grandmother

My grandmother

Who just passed one ½ year ago

The only genetic I got from her

Was my dimples.

The only thing she left me

Was the best memories.

I remember when she give me her beautiful smile

To see.

-          Naomi (8th grade)

Poets in Residence Sample Lessons and student poems

Larry O. Dean

Shields Elementary

5^th Grade

Week 3: 09/25/06

Bruce Weigl, “Home”

Every year, I've done a seasonal theme, and invariably, owing to the starting time of my residences as well as ostentatious pictorial qualities, the season has been winter. Since it just officially changed to autumn this past (blustery) weekend, I decided to try something different this time. I am always looking for new poets and poems too, and that, coupled with my desire to mix living as well as dead poets into the curriculum, led me to Bruce Weigl. Weigl has an interesting background – son of working class Midwesterners and an enlisted soldier in Vietnam – and my research uncovered a few salient comments I thought the students would enjoy. Thematically, “Home” uses autumn more for background detail, but its form (step lines) as well as simple language made a good impression.

Fall

I went to the park and the leaves were

shaking. So many different colors in the leaves.

Fall is full of so many colors. I hear people

enjoying their day. Kids running around playing

tag each day. They say that fall is a better

day. I sit in the park each day thinking

of another poem to write.

Ramon Calvillo 403

The Fall

In fall the leaves

start to change

color to yellow

orange and red

they fall to the

ground. When you

step on them

you can hear

them crackle

and crunk. It gets

cold and sometimes

it is too windy and

leafy too.

Rigoberto De Alba 404

Fall

Fall is like the moon

shining in the night. The leaves

are red, brown, yellow, and orange

all crunchy like chips. Fall

is cold. Fall is dark. I like

fall when I jump in the

leaves catch the leaves

that fall from the

trees.

Gabriela Garcia 404

Fall

When fall starts

            leaves start to fall

                        The weather would feel strange

As someone thinks about years pass

The world feels lonely

            when the people are separate

            Fall makes me remember the year

As people follow their gear

            Waiting for winter to come

while you remembering fun and sad times

Halloween starts

            As eating candy and

                        having fun

Omar Garcia 403

Fall

In fall I hear the leaves fall to the ground

I see leaves changing color in the fall

I feel cool breezes hitting my face

I see animals migrating or hibernating

I see animals picking their food

I feel I could fly in the breeze

I play with leaves.

Brian Garduńo 403

Fall is my second favorite season

All the

Leaves fall

Like a wave moving smoothly.

Luz Moreno 407

Fall

I don't like

fall it's too sunny

            and too bright.

Then it turns

too cold for me

so I stay inside.

Even when I want

to go outside

I don't

Alex Pina 404

Pamela Osbey  (South Shore)

Election Regression

LaShauntath Jones

To me in my opinion
Election means to vote
But understand how your vote
Will make a difference in the community.
I think that even the Democrats will raise
Taxes just as much as theRepublicans.
I feel that the government is cheating us
All.
The issues that I would have been
Addressed that have not addressed
Is death taxes, peace, and property taxes
On Democrats and Republicans.
When people go to vote the first idea
That comes to my mind is
“Do the people know that they
Are being cheated?”
All presidents do not do as they say.
They lie to be voted for.
I personally do not see one improvement
That George Bush as made in our community.

The Image Nation
Milton Brawner

A nation of dreams, creativity and fantasy.
Thoughts of where and why.
Seeing differently.
Feeling differently.
Loving, family, community of good.
I imagine a gov. of good.
This is a nation that will be brought a life
Because life is an imagination of a higher
Power.

 
Untitled
Timothy Logan

I’m about to talk about wanna be gang bangers.
I’m tired of seeing fake gang bangers around my community
Because they say the one thing but be claiming the other gang.
The reason why I say this because I see a lot of people being in gangs
Just because they don’t want to get pick on or they just want to be
Cool.

Live in the Sky
Dedicated to Life

Everyday I wake up, it’s good to be alive.
For in this lifetime we truly have to strive.
Something is going on everywhere you look around.
Sometimes you feel as if no one is around.

Cherish your life for you only receive one.
Go forth with your dreams and goals till your day is done.
Every time you fail, get back up and try.
Remember to keep your head to the sky.

I Respect
Miles K.

Overcrowded, overcrowded, overcrowded.
America has become full of issues.
People demanding by who?
Traditions and change are battle.

Accountability is not taken.
Everyone has a piece of the cake.
Poor, rich, black , white, Gay and straight.
We all have American on our stakes.

Changes in the way we think.
Blasting each other for our beliefs.
The life we need to evolve is the US
Not one hold but hold us one.
 
My Thoughts
Alyssa Price

I write because I’m happy or sad.
In the mood or not in the mood.
Feelings come rushing down as I begin to
Think about my town.
You never know what I may write
Until I see what my mind is like.




Married to My Music
Exavier Porter

Me and my music has a strong
Marriage.
We stroll through the darkness of
Worldly societies with no carriage.
Sharing one brain and strong unique thoughts
To be cherished.
We spend quality time and together the hearts
Of listeners we shall inherit.
I’m married to my music.

I hope we get far.
Far in between the stars.
If we stay in.

Alyson Paige Warren   (Shields)

10/25: “What’s in my hands?”

            This is a new lesson plan for me and I hope it works well. I tell the students that instead of bringing them a poem this week, I have instead brought something else. I appear to take something out of my bag, cupping it tightly in my hands. After walking around the room and really selling this, playfully taunting them with it and driving their curiosity wild, I ask them to write a poem guessing what is in my hands.

            I wish that many students had been more imaginative, but their concrete guesses are quite sweet. They almost seem limited by really believing something is in my hands. As the day progresses, I ask that they be as descriptive as possible with their guesses and this helps produce better work. I do not show them, which drives them crazy, but promise that id they do well next class I will show them at the end. I plan to bring in mini-candies, saying that was what was in my hands, and given them out as after-Halloween treats. In the future, I might make this more figurative: ask the students to guess at the wildest, craziest thing that could be in my hands, for instance, or to describe my imaginary friend. Still, I am happy with this little experiment.

I think that it is a spider monkey because Ms. Warren was holding something really small.

Or it could be a baby bird cause it is so quiet and birds are quiet if someone scares them.

Or maybe it can be a dead fish or maybe ashes.

Or maybe something very valuable.

Vincent Olivo, rm. 414

Poets in Residence Sample lessons

Hands on Stanzas Journal for Belding Elementary
Weeks 1-5 , Fall 2006
Cecilia Pinto, writer in residence

It’s Halloween today, so in an effort to acknowledge a little spookiness, I present the fifth grade with these three little poems that involve dreams and a suspension of disbelief. Students were asked to describe what occurs during the act of writing.
Hands
When I fall asleep
my hands leave me.
They pick up pens
and draw creatures
with five feathers
on each wing.
Siv Cedering Fox
The Word
comes out from the pen
like a rabbit from a magician’s hat
astronaut who knows itself alone and weightless
suspended on a line
in space. Manuel Ulacia
The Poet Pencil
Once upon a time a pencil wanted to write
poetry but it didn’t have a point. One day a boy
put it into a sharpener, and in place of a point
a river appeared.
Jesú s Carlos Soto Morfí n
Student Work:
Untitled
My pencil is like a pet.
It will do something when it’s ready.
My pencil is doing something right now.
When I get an idea, my pencil gets one.
My pencil is proud of what it does.
My pencil helps me in many ways. Jayson S.

David Rosenstock     (Smyser 10/30/06) 

We looked at a poem called “I Am Timothy the Lion”.  We talked about how some poems can be just plain silly.  Then I had them scribble on a piece of paper.  They passed their scribble to a neighbor and that person drew the image they saw in the scribble.  Then they wrote a poem in the voice of their image.

I Am A Pair Of Shoes

Cristian R.

I live on a woman’s foot

She wears me out

When I am no more

She throws me away

I Am A Rosary

Armando C.

I’m a rosary that people hold in their hand.

When I am not in somebody’s hand,

I am usually on the wall.  When

I hit the floor I snap.

I Am A Leaf

Sylwia Z.

I am a leaf blended

My color is flowing

Through a stream of river

My green colors are

Fading away

I am in a blender

Mixed and crunched

Away.  Goodbye my

Shape goodbye me

I Am A Wave

Matt K.

Influenced by the wind

Surfers are my best friends

They love it when I rise

They hate it when I fall

They all ride me

I Am An Eighties T-Shirt

Anonymous

I live in the closet of a hippie

My best friend are the blue jeans that live

Next to me.  His name is Jeanie.

I Am A

Sandwich

Marek S.

I live in pieces

My head and legs in the break box

One lucky day a giant comes

And I come to life with the green cheese

But then I scream and run

When this thing takes me to a wet world

Eric Elshtain

12 October 2006    (Galileo)

Today’s lesson is one of my favorites, but I have yet to find a more viable, understandable example to present to the students (other than one I’ve written myself).  This lesson is cribbed from Koch’s Wishes, Lies and Dreams book—the “swan of bees” idea—using “of” phrases as a starting point for understanding comparison.  I also like it for the transformative nature of language it presents to students—they can transform their ordinary “boring” classroom into a place where there are “skeletons of pumpkins” or “flags of blood.” 

I threw caution to the wind and used the poem below—last year I used a longer piece of this poem to the utter confusion of the students and since the students work so much by example I cut the poem even more to get an excerpt that honed in on the “of” aspect.  Maybe I should drop showing a poem at all for this “of” exercise, but I like to get this lesson in early, and I like to show poems in the first three or four classes at least.  So:  we read this excerpt from “Europa” by Anatol Stern:

...here’s the jazz-band

of discoveries

shimmy of relativity

jig of

economics

catastrophes

under which collapse

the parquet floor of

europe

…

I go over A LOT of vocabulary, but I think it may be worth it.  I stick to the first and third “of” phrases.  I ask, “What’s a jazz band of discoveries”—“A band that discovers things”—“What does it discover?”—“New music!  New ways to make music!  New Noises!”  “Why does economics jig?”  “Because prices go up and down!”  “Because money can make you want to dance!”  These phrases excite the students—they act as little engines of suggestion and make them want to suggest their own odd things.  It began to snow heavily during on class—and suddenly snow appeared in almost all of the poems.  It was an exciting moment, and it was immediately recorded in the poems.  The “of” framework also allows the students to play with opposites (“dog of cat”) and pairs (“pencil of paper”) as well as emotion (“Textbook of terror”; “school of boring”).     Also through this exercise, the students can express wishes and thoughts in a condensed way—a good lesson useful for the rest of the year.

Of

Allaysia Dower

Math of stars

Fan of cat

Canyon of pumpkins

Strips of people

Mr. Eric of the sun

Wood of steel

Books of change

Poetry of snow

Cow of moon

11 Out of 11

Nicholas Munoz

snow of sun

math of hair

Texas of books

stars of dark

cats of green

trees of fans

A of Z

good of bad

Nick of Nicholas

grass of steel

1 of ∞

School Time

Penny Xu Yue

seconds of time

flag of blood

books of paper

pencils of writing

desk of room

money of skeleton

wars of death

window of snow

Penny of change

school and back

quite of light

people of work

[Chinese characters]

hi of baba

Snow Of Ice

Clarissa Perez

Book of baskets

closet of water

Kleenex of globe

flag of blackboard

organization of words

garbage of students

paper of chairs

The Man

Jenna Simons

Wardrobe of modes

globe of snow

word of voice

cloth of ideas

fluency of sentence

doors of open

book of reading

six of washer

man of desk

paper of pencil

poetry of draft

science of story

blanket of snow

Snow, wood, marker and nosepin

Dante Gutierrez

snow of water

wood of baskets

clothespin of nosepin

snow of ice

wood of door

marker of crayon

The Poem That Always Has Of

Reyna Estrada

Wardrobe of writing

globe of world

snow of

America

time of writing

modes of poetry

chairs of poetry

wardrobe of writing progress

flag of writing

board of word wall

flag of pictures

wardrobe of wild wall

My Silly Poem

Tyler Young

snow of tongue     cloud of sky

continent of world     snow of snowball fight

leaves of trees     clock of time

air of vent     fan of air     flag of

Chicago

Stuff Mixed

Brian Alvarez

The witch of the fire.

The bat of the chair.

The world of baseball.

The ghost of the garbage can.

The flowers of the volcano.

The pyramid of clock towers.

The books of waterfall.

The

US

flag of freedom.

School in My Classroom

Maddie Divittorio

School of knowledge.

Pencil of lead.

Paper of writing.

The book of stories.

Speaker of words.

Graph of numbers.

The light of the letters.

The room of bookbags.

The desk of teacher.

All things you need.

Stick of measurement.

Board of list.

Cup of pens and pencils.

Book of funniest.

Witch of cars.

I know these things

I use these things

That’s how I learn.

My World

Andrew Miller

Continent of North America

Country of the USA

State of Illinois

City of Chicago

Street of Carpenter

School of Galileo

In all of that is

the wisdom of Andrew

The Flower of Feelings

Jasmine Pruitt

The Rose of love:

is really full of goodness

and lots of light and

the flowers of fun

and flowers of sadness

and the sun flower

of greatness.

The War of the World

Samantha O’Brien

The flag of time

Pyramid of the class

Cubs of October

Trees of the earth

Witch of the kids

Numbers of books

The of of of

Balloon of the school

Shelf of the map

Paper of calculator

Perimeter of area

Girls of boys

Desks of computers

Music of board

Gym of science

Yellow of red

Chalk of tiles

Crayon of markers

Alphabet of poetry

My Poem!

Meagann Ibarra

Fish of the sea.

Mesa

of el

pisa

.

El mundo of la luna.

The flower of the water.

Pencil of the paper.

The ear of the earring.

The ponytail of the hair.

Apples of the tree.

Monsters of October.

Puppies of mom.

Kittens of the cat.

Clothes of the body.

Chalk of the board.

Birthday of cake.

Television Premiere: 2006 Hands on Stanzas All Schools Reading

Sunday, July 2 at 5 PM on CAN TV19 catch the world premiere of The 2006 Hands on Stanzas All Schools Reading featuring student poets from 39 different Chicago neighborhoods, introduced by their poets in residence.  The event will re-air Friday, July 7 at 8 AM on CAN TV19.

Hands on Stanzas at the Chicago Public Library Branches

Over the next week, Poetry Center of Chicago staff will be sending out a copy of the 2005-2006 Hands on Stanzas Anthology of Poetry to each of the over eighty Chicago Public Library branches!

Recently Published

Enjoy this small sampling of chapbooks edited, printed and published by our poets in residence and distributed to their students:

 

 

 

(from the top: "8" and "7": 8th and 7th grade chapbooks from Henry Clay Elementary; "Life Unlocked" by room 304 from Galileo Scholastic Academy; "Have You Heard?" by Kristin Kawazoye from Galileo Scholastic Academy; "Poems from Prescott" from Prescott Elementary School; "Coming From the World" by room 205 from Galileo Scholastic Academy; "Digimon 2" by Aysha Estrada from Henry Clay Elementary; "Eye See" by room 303 from Galileo Scholastic Academy)

Pulaski Landscape Poems

Tracy Zeman's students at Pulaski Fine Arts Academy read Lorca’s “De Poeme de la Soleá” and “Paisaje" in both Spanish and English. Then, the students were prompted to employ specific and unusual language to describe either a land or landscape, and to experiment with shorter lines. Studnets were challenged to either write the poem in Spanish and English or to write the poem in English and use at least 5 Spanish words:

Las Nuves

My land is
so bella!
Is warm
like el sol in my skin.

I dream in
the nuves…
who knows
de que

I dream about
amor…
I dream about
my love…
who that person
is…yo solo se…

Well it’s time
to go…
my sueno is
almost over…
(Jeismarie C)

The Tierra of Agua

Where you swim to see the
tesoro to see the gold to see
yourself under water the people
that are ancestor to see the land
and to feel it come up from
the ground to see it shine
from the tierra. Isreal

Caliente land
Sequo in many places

Vieja tress and
no animals
Tierra of no surviving
(Kimberley A.)

Puerto Rico

Its like a dream
a place with peace
as I hear the coqui
The grass is green
the beaches are calm
palm trees flow, the
rhythm of leaves swaying
together.
The land is large, filled
with houses, chickens
and horses.
The temperature
is hot and
helping the gardens
not dry but bloom
into beautiful
flowers.
(Delilah G.)

Grimes School: An Epic

Students at Grimes School wrote an "All School Poem" to read during their All School Assembly.  Poet in residence Ray Bianchi divided his classrooms into groups to brainstorm lines, and the collective ended up with over 800 lines. After three weeks of editing, and rough drafts:

Grimes School: An Epic
This is a poem of a journey of students in a school in the lower left hand corner of Chicago. It was created out of the poetic fragments and lines of the students.

In our differences- we listen to our teachers- the school is amazing - we hear music -colors - feel the cool sun- Ms Achtenberg teaches us simply and clearly- We are not allowed to chew gum in this place.

Listen.

Proud of our school and our differences we come to listen-Volleyball, Basketball music- amazing- We work the hardest- we grow here-Ms Conlon teaches us cool things -Ms McCabe is always cool.

Cool Stuff

We tried the hardest -we are proud of our school-The night needs music- cool music. Mustangs rule- my mind is coming with tears-We cannot run in the halls- Run into the sun-Let us run.

Future

International night opened to us worlds we did not know- I like math and not the easy way- We want to chew gum- my mind is coming- listen to the music

Escuchan jovens! Escuchan alumnos!

Prepararme para el futuro- ayudarme con mis aulas-. Nice teachers who listen- sometimes to us. Prepare to be here at the end.

Listen Amazing Mustangs in the sun Running

Art, Music, History and Gym Open doors and closed places Before the science of listening

Mustangs Rule

Feelings into which I go and Open my inside To the future-

Cutting Unnecessary Words

Toni Asante Lightfoot, poet in residence at Off the Street Club writes,

"We wrote our biographies in 26 words.  We then edited to 13 words.  We then edited it down to 7 words.  Looking over the 7 most important words to describe our lives we then edited down to 3 words.  Finally, they chose the most important and vivid word to describe themselves.

An example of their work is from Dominique M.

I am a girl who lives on the Westside of Chicago.  I love pink.  I love it here at Off the Street Club.  I love poetry.

I am Westside, Chicago.  I love pink, Off the Street Club, and poetry.

Westside, Chicago, Off the Street Club, poetry

Westside, Chicago, Poetry"

Poetry

Chavez Chalk Poems

Poet in residence Dave Rosenstock sent these pictures of his students' Chalk Poems, decorating the sidewalks around Chavez Multicultural Academic Center:

Concrete Poems from Armstrong Elementary

......click on the images to enlarge!

Poems from George Armstrong Elementary

Check out these newly collected poems from Cassie Sparkman's residency at George Armstrong School of International Studies:

In Your Spiral Dream

          by: Yvette B.

You are jump roping but your left

shoe came off.  You try to jump

and get the shoe at the same time.

The rope was turning fast like

a fan’s sharp wings.

It spins so fast that it can do

a blender’s job.

You try to reach more for the

shoe, but now you are reaching

for your sister.  You are in the

mountains.  Your sister is about to

drop down on the sharp rocks.

You pull with all your might

and promise not to let go.

You catch the shoe

but lose your balance.

The rope stops and that

is the end of the game.

Test of Terror

by: Neel G.

You are at Armstrong school for taking a test.  You fill in the bubble for “c” under number 13.  You read question 22 and your mind goes blank.  Silence.  Confusion.  Panic.  You don’t know what to do.  You fill in the bubble for “a” and then erase it.  You look at the teacher.  Grading papers.  You sneak a glance at your friend’s paper.  You see that he has filled in answer choice “b” and decide to do the same.  Your paper goes up in flames.  You scream.  The teacher looks up.  He turns into a demon and eats you up.  You are trapped.  You feel the demon’s insides and search for a way out.

Poem

by: Mirian C.

Pay attention young lady.  Study for your test.  Be quiet.  Be on task.  Why didn’t you do your homework?  Don’t talk in line.  Don’t play in class.  Don’t talk over me.  You know you need to bring gym clothes on Tuesday.  Don’t come to school out of uniform.  But it was dirty.  Come prepared to school.  Eat fresh food.  Clean the classroom.  Get your things ready to go.  You need to earn your recess back.  No 20 minute period.  Face forward - don’t look back.  Don’t forget to do your homework.  This is how you make a business letter.  Be quiet - that’s why you don’t have your pizza party.  But I was not talking.  This is how you talk to an adult.  Raise your hand if you want to talk.  Don’t try to insult my intelligence.  Stop talking.  50 lines.  Don’t approach my desk without permission.

Poem

by: Jsahanta P.

Keep your hands and feet to yourself.  Don’t hit people because they might hit you back.  Don’t talk too close to other people’s faces, you might share spit.  Don’t tickle anyone in public, it isn’t polite.  I would never tickle anyone and especially not in public.  Sit up straight or your spine will curve.  Brush your teeth because the color yellow is not pretty, and morning breath doesn’t smell fresh.  I always brush my teeth and I floss too!

Poem

by: Juana V.

She is a princess

In modern times

Her dress

A majestic pink

She is riding

On her faithful horse

Who has a distinguishable birthmark

That reaches from the tip of his snout

To his eyes

They are galloping

Around a field

That is preparing itself

For winter

Clinging Love

by: Elyse E.

The sun is out

The heat is rising.

A man is struggling.

He struggles with two

boys like spiders

clinging hard onto him.

He doesn’t know why

they do this.

He can’t see and is

getting hot.

The boys laugh

and stay there.

They won’t move

Everyone stares.

He doesn’t care.

He loves the clinging

boys on him.

Secrets

by: Turverse D.

Your secrets keep me

safe but go around

the world

the secret sounds the

same somehow

the words wander

off like sand that

flies in your face

when the secret

comes back to you

all the words will

be very new

Embarrassing

by: Ivy S.

I remember how my mom

always tells the story of how

much I used to cry when I was a

baby.  I always feel like exploding.

She compares me with my half baby brother

that I cried more than he does.

Now I know she is my mom

and all but moms can be really

embarrassing if you think about it.

Why can’t they understand there are

some things that just should not be

said like when we were babies.

My mom should know

I am my own person.

Poem

by: Dammy A.

I remember on week-

days when I had to

wake up early in the mor-

ning and go to a far away

school from my house

I would be cranky every

morning and I would be mad

at every-

one, I would go to school with-

out eating.  I remember I

would stay in the car for a

long time doing nothing

until I got to school.

But then I moved now every-

thing is much better.

Poem

by: Miguel S.

I remember every morning at

3 am my father woke m-

e up to go to work

with him he always ma-

de me do the same

things so that I could

be perfect at them

he always made me obs-

erve him so that I could

get better every time

and every time succeed

ing well sometimes

I messed up

once in a while.

Hate

by: Usman I.

Hate is a man

who’s heart is black

as night.

Hate is a thunderstorm

which won’t

let kids go outside to

play.

Hate is the mortal

enemy of joy.

Hate has superpowers

which could break hard

concrete walls.

Hate is a shadow of

a man who got into

a fight with his

wife.

Hate is a man working

at K-Mart who is

upset because

of his monthly salary.

Hate is everywhere, it

is inside of you but

you can’t see it.

Shame

by: Cesar G.

Shame is a Father who couldn’t provide for his family so the only thing that he was necessary was to sell drugs.  Shame is a sandwich from the homeless shelter.  Shame is also a boy who needs guidance from a father that he never had.  He thinks negative about everything, and relies on what he sees in the streets.  Shame is a person who drops out of high school.  Shame is the drug dealer you see in your area, or local street corner.  He is the addict who would do anything to get their hand’s on what they need.  SHAME IS ME.

Anger

by: Christina L. and Herbert I.

Anger is like the midnight sky above a black dark scary castle that looks like it has bats guarding something from raging out.  Anger is like a black hole that has a tornado coming out of it. It feels like one itchy black sweater trying to scratch something.  It tastes like chitlins when they aren’t cooked.  Anger is just like a villain that has rays coming out of its eyes beaming on somebody very hard and its job is to wipe out everyone in the world but it waits in a dark…cold…grimy basement waiting to be disturbed.

Jealousy

by: Eleanor C.

Jealousy is the woman

who never had enough.

She is that leopard skin

dress you dyed to look

regal.  Jealousy is that

lioness who took over

your pride, now laying

on your rock.

Jealousy is that

brand new car that’s

parked across the street.

She is the earthquake

who measures past the last.

Jealousy can read your

mind and knows just

what you want – that

shiny name on a record

label that your sister got.

Jealousy is that bedroom

just messier than your

brother’s.

The Nightmare in the Spirit

          by: Chris P.

You get on your knees and pray to God that he protects you through the night but a spirit comes in unannounced and destroys that prayer so God can’t get the message.  You say “Amen” and climb into bed.  “I got you now” the spirit says and it gets into bed with you.  You close your eyes, he hovers over you waiting and waiting to make sure you are asleep.  Two other demons climb in the bed so you can’t move.  You dream of that girl you loved from the day you saw her.  You pucker your lips to kiss her and then, she disappears.  It grows dark, blood falls from the ceiling.  You’re scared someone is behind you breathing down your neck.  You run.  The scene changes.  You’re in a big warehouse.  It’s quiet no sound at all.  You see a man on a throne his clothes a black cloak.  “I’m back!” the mysterious man says as he runs at you.  He takes out a blade and he knocks you to the floor.  He swings back to kill you but your soul comes to protect you.  He sounds a trumpet to God.  God hears it and speeds to you and vanquishes the demons.  The mysterious man disappears in the shadows.  You cry out loud.  Your mom comes in and wakes you up.  You cry you’ve been asleep.  God watches you as he rocks your spirit to sleep.

Anxiety

by: Jonathan K.

Anxiety is the black dressed man, worrying about what the next place he goes will be.  He worries about the government, no matter who is in office.  He is the fearful rabbit, wondering where his predators are.  He is the rotten food that someone just ate.  He is the man unprepared at the battlefront, wondering if they will kill him or let him be.  He is the musty basement that no one wants to enter.  He is the laser-eye vision that has just shot someone through the stomach.

ELevated Verse Press

Check out this article about ELevated Verse from last Tuesday's Chicago Sun Times:

(click on image to enlarge)

Randolph Elementary's Chapbook

Randolph Elementary's Poet in Residence Lee Glidewell forwarded a neat PDF version of his school's chapbook:

Among The Sky and Stars

Download amongtheskyandstars.pdf

ELevated Verse: at a CTA Station Near You

On Monday, June 5, The Poetry Center of Chicago, the CTA, Chicago Public Schools and Chase, gathered at the Roosevelt Street station to celebrate the installation of ELevated Verse with a press conference.  Executive Director Lisa Buscani introduced the project and Arnie Duncan (CPS), Frank Kruesi (CTA) and Leslie Slavitt (Chase).  Programs Coordinator (and ELevated Verse curator) Michelle Taransky introduced three of the project's featured students:  Loc N. from Helen C. Peirce School of International Studies, Whitney T. from Michael Faraday Elementary and Miriam Q. from Henry Clay Elementary School, who read from their poetry posters.  Alex Jovanovich, the designer of the posters, Sheila Keeley and Amina Sayed (from the CPS Office of Academic Enhancement) attended, as well. 

 

Hands on Stanzas @ Printers Row Book Fair

Come check out the Hands on Stanzas table at this weekend's Printers Row Book Fair. In addition to being the official poetry book seller of the fair, The Poetry Center of Chicago staff will be on hand to talk about teaching poetry in the public schools, poetry readings and events in Chicago, from our programming to beyond. We'll have the brand new 2005-2006 Hands on Stanzas Anthology of Poetry and books by Printers Row Poets for sale.

Also, ELevated Verse launches on Monday. Look out for poetry on the CTA.

Poetry Reading at Trumbull Elementary

On June 14 at 1 pm in the auditorium, poet in residence Carina Farrero will lead a poetry reading featuring her student poets from Trumbull Elementary in Uptown. 

Poems from Galileo

Students at Galileo read a collaborative poem by Andre Breton and Philippe Soupault, "The Manufactories."  Then, they wrote poems with a partner using poetic tools like alliteration or the exquisite corpse. 

Grim Reaper

I'm thinking of a creature can you guess what it is?

It is a creature whose heart is as black as his soul.

He sucks blood of horses and bats and people.

I saw him once, he was lightning.

Once I saw him take the meat off of someone.

He digested the meat in a blink of an eye.

Once he was in someone's house.

Once one person was killed by touching his hand.

The blue and bluer seas swam with him in it

but was killed by a swarm of sharks.

His hearing is a spirit but be still walks the dead.

He has a new method of killing in slepp.

Once upon a time he was a kid just like

us but killed his family and was taken in by the

devil for his deeds so he is called

the Grim Reaper.

by Shalon C. and Jeremy J.

Mixed Up Themes

A circus full of animals

A sea full of fish

A heart full of mercy

A monkey in the trees

The sky is pure blue

There have been many brave men in our country

The beautiful sun like the moon

Over the horizon where the sun and moon meet

Passion full of love

An eternal glory be

A brain full of democracy

The ten plagues of Egypt once again come

A sky of birds

Finding a leprechaun can be most rewarding

Poems of rhyme and poetry

You might find scarabs in a mummy's tomb

Brains full of dreams

The sound of music makes my heart leap

The sound of birds singing

Now our journey's just begun

by Maria A.  and Redia D.

The animals were screaming.

My brother is an animal.

The man jumped out of a lake.

My brother is Santa Claus.

A flower dies and flies and

I scream for ice cream.

Tuesday Tuesday will come.

The pig ate pie in my eye

and he poked my eye.

The sky got blue and

then it got bluer.

The clam is clever and

my brother is not

by Luis G. and Daniel R.

Mixed and Made Up

School really stinks.

He's crazy but the teacher can call our parents.

Today we're going to Carm's.

I forgot what The Simpsons was about yesterday.

Do you want to buy a TV?

The fag was on fire.

His book was so boring.

A fish is dead in a shark's stomach.

A teacher also takes tests.

The fish look like they smell bad.

The board was cracking like a crackin' back.

The teacher's chair was creaking.

The clock won't stop ticking that I took.

The radio was really loud.

On the map the world is wide.

by Juan G. and Carlos S.

The Funny Poem

Friday Friday

Calculator Caddy

The Seahorse came to Seattle

The Lasagna came to Louisiana

The Quilt went to Quinton

The Chair went to Chicago

Crazy Dance went to Crazy Town

The Money went to Monopoly

The Macaroni went to Mars

Mars went to the Cars

Jupiter got Sturdier

The Mopes went Crazy.

by Amanda O.and Marisa C.

Nightmares

Freedom crossing dreams are nightmares.

Daisy is ugly.

Help, my nightmare is alive.

My mom is boring.

It's coming towards you.

Alex is blue and yellow.

You're the nightmare.

My hat is a cat.

All of a sudden I see Samantha.

Mario is good at drawing Martin is not.

I guess she is the nightmare.

Leave you

stay back don't get too close

stay back you got the......

you're scaring me

I hate......

I hate the monster

You have a......

Do you?

I hate my......

I DO

We have no......

Ok, ok let me go.

What title

No title

What's wrong

What's wrong with you not me?

What me?

by Gabby E. and Samantha A.

Can the sun blink on and off?

Yes, because it wants to cover its ugly eyes.

What kind of metal is the American flag made of?

It's made of hot iron.

What is Earth made out of?

Old, dirty laundry.

Why do we have teeth?

To make us look ugly.

What does beauty smell like?

It smells like sweat with melted cheese.

by Samantha N. and Michelle M.

What is a cat?

A cat is a goblin like creature that comes out in the moon light.

Why is a dog like his leg?

Because they are long and bony.

What is a mouse that's tiny?

They are little pieces of paper.

What is cream cheese?

It is a vegetable that comes to life.

What is milk cheese.

It is a candy that can kill.

by Juanita T. and Annonymous

Questions

What's cacadoodledoo?

It's stuff that you do and it's called booboo.

What's people?

People are free things.

How do you wear cheese?

You wear it on pizza and macaroni.

How do you make me?

You put on a big mouth and mix guts with guts.

When do aliens attack?

When independence comes.

by Jacinto P. and Al W.