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an anthology of
literary and art work
by students from
Charlottesville City Schools
The Unfinished Jigsaw2014–2015
an anthology of
literary and art work
by students from
Charlottesville City Schools
Charlottesville City Schools1562 Dairy Road
Charlottesville, Virginia
Cover Art: Carmen Day CHS Grade 9
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Appreciation is expressed to our creative students, teachers, and
all others whose contributions have made this anthology possible.
Editor
Editorial Board
Art Teachers K–12
Desktop Publishing
Photography
Editing/Layout
Aaron Eichorst, Fine Arts Coordinator
Jen McGraw, CHSSusan Muse, BufordChristine Esposito, WalkerCarol Busching, Burnley-MoranAshley Riley, ClarkBeth Easter, GreenbrierChrissy Grant, Jackson-ViaIda Cummings, JohnsonCindy Cartwright, Venable
Jennifer Mildonian, CHSRachel McLaughlin, CHSRachel Wilson, CHS (Photography)Marcelle Van Yahres, BRJD Academic ProgramDesmond Cormier, BufordSamantha Pagni, WalkerEileen Butler, Burnley-Moran and Jackson-ViaEvelyn Reid, Clark and GreenbrierLindsey Ryan, Greenbrier and JohnsonMelissa Combs, Burnley-Moran and VenableAaron Eichorst, ArtQuest Program Specialist
Ellen Pitts
Rachel Wilson
Jeff SulingEllen Pitts
Deveny Watson CHS Grade 9
- 1 -
PronounQena Taylor
Buford Grade 8
Carolyn Barnett, Counselor
Buford Middle School
1000 Cherry Avenue
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Dear Mrs. Barnett,
I have to ask you a serious question: Why do I
have to stand in for every person, every place,
every thing, and every idea all of the time? It
seems like nouns get too lazy to do their jobs.
Why is it that I have to take the place of the
subject or the direct object or the object of
the preposition? Heck, you could say I have
no identity other than being the mighty King
Noun’s subject. Let’s be honest about this. I
have been doing all nouns’ dirty work by being
a stand-in. I just want to be me—or myself,
depending. I need my own identity, my own life.
So, this is IT! From now on, we pronouns will
make nouns do all of their work. They are
slackin’! What do you think, Mrs. Barnett? I
need your advice—I am tired of standing in for
someone or something else just because they
don’t want to repeat themselves (how boring is
that?!). What should I do to correct this unfair
situation?
Sincerely,
Pronoun
AdverbsSereniti Carnes-Ivory
Jackson-Via Grade 4
There once was an adverb named High. High
was looking for a verb to modify. She saw
ask and said, “Hi ask. Can I modify you?” “No”
said ask. Walking sadly away, High then saw
noisily. “Hi noisily” said High. “Can I modify
you?” “No thank you,” said noisily. “I can’t be
modified, I already am.” High went strolling in the forest and saw Billy and jumped. Walking
over confidently she said, “Hi jumped. Can I modify you?” “Sure you can” said jumped. And
skipping happily down deeper in the forest went
Billy jumped high.
The AdjectiveJeanne Berthy
Jackson-Via Grade 4
Once there was a beautiful adjective named
Sparkling. Sparkling was alone and
wanted to put a stop to it! So she went to go
modify someone. So one day, Sparkling went
to the market to find someone to modify. Sparkling ran over to Banana. “Can I modify
you?” asked Sparkling. “No,” said Banana.
“I’m not sparkling, I’m just plain yellow.” So
Sparkling ran over to Bee. “Can I modify you?”
asked Sparkling hopefully. “Nozzzz,” said Bee.
“I’ve already got striped.” Sparkling was so
sad that she almost cried. Sparkling bumped
into Diamond. “Can I modify you?” asked
Sparkling. “Sure,” said Diamond. “Why can’t
you?” So the Sparkling Diamond skipped away
happily.
- 2 -
Life’s StoryBrian Wieberg
Jackson-Via Grade 4
Life is like a bird soaring through the air on its magnificent wings, Life’s like a breeze on a cold day when the sun is behind a cloud,
Life’s like a walk on a sunny spring day when the air is soft and lush,
Life’s like a playground where there’s very many rules to follow,
Life’s like a poem that goes on and on ‘til the end of time,
Life’s like a pyramid that stays still for thousands of years,
Life’s like a problem that needs to be solved,
Life’s like a seed that grows in the ground for many years.
The Key to LifeJaniyah Cutchin
Burnley-Moran Grade 4
The key to life is…
caring for others,
loving each other like
family,
always remembering
that you are special
no matter what
anyone
thinks.
The key to life is…
L-O-V-E
LifeSabrina Hendricks
Walker Grade 6
Life is like a wheel
it can stand on its own
or function better with others
Thru rows of flowers,over bright green hills,
under sunshine,
over bumps,
and notches
It can get splinters,
but get fixed;fall off the wagon,
but get screwed back on;stray from the path,
but be directed back on track;
But when the time arrives,
the wheel will break,
wore down by all the adventures,
and be done with its journey
Give…Ellie BrechtCHS Grade 9
G ive kindness, for you never know who’ll return it
Give hope, for it brings to anything some spirit
Give patience, for it is what many need
Give affection, for it can make weary hearts bleed
Give heart, for some feel scorned
Give sympathy, for even the wicked must be mourned
Give love, for without it one is dead inside
Give assurance, for one may want to run and hide
Give decency, for you never know who’s been shunned
Give delicacy, for some are easily stunned
Give charity, for some don’t have much
Give warmth, for some are cold to the touch
Give youth, for we aren’t getting any younger
Give knowledge, for some are full of hunger
Give courtesy, for some are weakened with every blow
Give sunshine, for we are seeds needing to grow
Give time, for there are problems which need to be dealt
Give humanity, for emotions need to be felt
Give hospitality, for a friend is who you want to be
Give mercy, instead of ignoring one’s final pleaGive reflection, for some people are worth a second thoughtGive forgiveness, for some battles aren’t meant to be fought
- 3 -
James Brown
Walker Grade 6
Mya Redd
Walker Grade 6
Mixed Up Files SongHenry HeisigClark Grade 3
Jamie’s great, Claudia too.
I can’t wait to read the book, whoo hoo!
Claudia’s cool. Jamie’s the same.
I’m wondering why they aren’t rich and
swimming in a luxurious pool with a lot of fame?
Angel’s a mystery. Mike made her.
Why didn’t he get blistery and get covered in
fur? (since he didn’t shave for so long)
This is a song about a book.
I think you should take a look.
The UnexplainedLily Zanoff
Burnley-Moran Grade 4
The unexplained is all around,
in the sky,
and on the ground.
We don’t know much about the world,
about this curse that’s set upon us,
by all the evil,
by all the greed,
by all the warnings we do not heed.
Sometimes we don’t understand,
why people do things
and what the plan is for the future
and how will we succeed
in that crazy world out there.
We don’t know
what will happen when the world ends,
if we did,
nothing would ever be discovered.
That is why most things,
are unexplained.
- 4 -
I LoveRedford Fisher
Greenbrier Grade 1
I love books.
I love trucks.
I love play dates.
I love my mama.
I love vacations.
I love writing.
I love playing on the playground.
I love candy.
I love treats.
I love almost everything.
What Do I Love?Ricardo Chimal-Martinez
Greenbrier Grade 2
I love…
my mom because she is kind.
to feel the warm fire in my shelter in winter.to carve a jack-o-lantern.
to go to Richmond.
to watch the fireworks in July.to go to Legoland because it has pools.
all grades in school.
playing games at home.
to feel the wind blow.
my brother because he is funny!
school because it has fun activities.
soccer because I win!
colors because they are bright.
chocolate because it is brown.
These are the things I love.
Chasity Grant
Johnson Grade 2
The PresidentLavon RappClark Grade K
I wonder how I will do that
I will try to help people
- 5 -
What Do I Love?Junia Bartholomew
Greenbrier Grade 2
I love…
playing with my baby brother when he
laughs at me.
watching fireworks go in the sky.coming to school because I can play with my
friends.
when I stay with my cousin, so I can hold him.
going outside and watching the sun.
when people smile and are happy.
when my mom packs me a tuna sandwich.
when people help others and me when we are
sad.
when my grandmother gives me fuzzy socks on
my birthday.
looking at my old baby pictures.
when my mom curls my hair for school.
making a snowman in winter.
going swimming and camping with my family.
playing soccer at recess.
These are the things I love.
My DadKhishon GrayWalker Grade 6
We go far in love with all our heart
We go infinity and beyond together all dayWe will always love each other like I love Pop-Tarts
You were ever so close, you almost were a Gray
I love how you do stuff out of the blue
It’s sad how you had to leave so soon
But God makes his choices and he chose you
I will always love you as much as a full moon
You are the best
I really miss you
Thanks to you our family is blessed
Love you so much we’re stuck like glue
My HeroRachel Jackson
Greenbrier Grade 3
My dad is my hero. He is my hero because
he takes good care of me. He is so nice
to me that I can get whatever I want. He is the
best hero you can have! When he is sick, I’m his
hero. He loves me, and I love him, too. My hero
is loving and caring.
My MomMichael Kromkowski
Greenbrier Grade K
I love my mom. She is always really nice to
me. When she is nice to me, I feel happy!
Katherine Garcia-Angel
Clark Grade 2
- 6 -
My FamilyGrant Patterson
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
My dad is my best friend because we like to
play tuffy wuffy. My dad plays
basketball and he used to run, too. And he likes
to go on a Disney Cruise.
What Do I Love?Eh Klu Paw
Greenbrier Grade 2
I love…
when my Homney makes eggrolls.
when I get to talk to my aunt.
a time when I get to go to the beach.
a sunny day!
Valentine’s Day because love is in the air.
my birthday because I get presents.
a day when I get to eat pizza.
my brother because he is funny and cute.
a weekend day!
when I get candy because it tastes good, and
candy has sugar!
when I get to have a play date.
These are the things I love.
Red JacksonNila Stewart
Johnson Grade 4
Sitting in the house
Mom knitting,
Brother sleeps,
Peaceful abode
Distant from the turmoil of the gang
My GrandfatherTondrae White
Walker Grade 6
Sadness in the air
and I know in my heart
I cannot bear
that we can never be apart.
And even though sadness is in the air
our love will never end
I know we’ll be together everywhere
because you are my best friend.
Our love is very strong
not a thousand miles apart
because I know you have it in your palm
because you are in my heart.
Eleanor Brown
Buford Grade 7
- 7 -
FriendshipElla McLarenWalker Grade 6
Even though it feels like nothing,
no one has necessities,
Even though our farm is thriving,
like a rat trying to find food,Ruining soil,
And time,
that no one has the effort to waste,
that my dress is soiled,
and filthyby the end of the day,
But I don’t care,
because I’ve got something else,
Someone to share it with.
Forever FriendsVivien Wong
Johnson Grade 4
Forever friends will
Rescue, to keep each other safe,
Immediately help when needed,
Encourage each other,
Notify, if needed,
Do dangerous tasks and more
to help their friend.
Chase Scott
Johnson Grade 3
Alani Green
Jackson-Via Grade 4
- 8 -
BEST FRIENDSErica StrattonWalker Grade 6
Believe in each other.
Exchange their stuff. Share their food.
Tell it like it is.
Find the answers.
Rely on each other.
Incredibly amaze you at times.
Encourage each other.
Never stop caring.
Don’t give up.
Stand by each other.
Markeya Washington
Johnson Grade 1
Alex Taylor
Burnley-Moran
Grade 4
If I Were PresidentManal Arbab
Greenbrier Grade K
If I were president, I would make sure
everybody shared their things. Sharing is
good.
- 9 -
The Gingerbread KingAlly Peng
Venable Grade 1
Once upon a time, long ago in an enchanted
kingdom, the king was away. He went
to another kingdom. The knights by the castle
wanted to make a gingerbread king for him.
They added a little bit of this and pinch of that
and mixed and rolled. When it was done, they popped it into the oven. When they went to
peek, out jumped the gingerbread king! He said,
“With a skip and a fling, and a slight of a wing, you can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread king,”
and off he ran across the floor. He was spotted by the queen. She said,
“Come back! You’re going to be my morning
snack!” But he said, “With a skip and a fling, and a slight of a wing, you can’t catch me, I’m
the gingerbread king,” and off he ran.
Across the floor he ran and ran by the princess’s room. The princess saw him and said,
“Stop! I want to eat you!” He just laughed and
said, “With a skip and a fling, and a slight of a wing, you can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread
king,” and off he ran out the door.
He was spotted by the mayor and he
said, “Come back! I want you to be my dessert!”
The gingerbread king just laughed. Oh, he
laughed as hard as he could and said, “With a
skip and a fling, and a slight of a wing, you can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread king.”
Now it wasn’t long until he met the king
coming back. He looked down and said, “Let’s
be friends; we look alike.” So the gingerbread king said, “yes.” The king said, “but my knights
are looking for you.” The gingerbread king
shivered. But the real king suggested to climb
up the castle wall.
Now the real king knew that
gingerbreads can’t climb very well with their
non-gingered hands, but he didn’t say so. When
they reached the castle the knight had no idea
what the king was doing. But the king knew
what he was doing. He was about to swallow
up the gingerbread king in a sly way. So they
climbed up the castle wall. We already know
that the gingerbread king couldn’t climb very
well with his non-fingered hands, so when they started climbing, the gingerbread king
slipped. And the king opened his mouth to taste
a tasty treat! With a munch and a crunch, the
gingerbread king was gone.
The End
The Gingerbread NinjaLucas MassaroVenable Grade 1
Once upon a time, there was a bakery in
Japan. It was a famous bakery because
they made cookies. One day, they decided to
make a gingerbread Ninja. They baked it. Then,
to their surprise he jumped out of the pan. Then
he ran out of the bakery and down the street.
He met a dog. Then he said, “Run, run,
as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the
gingerbread Ninja!” He met a black cat. Then
he said, “Run, run, as fast as you can. You can’t
catch me, I’m the gingerbread Ninja!” Then he
met a real Ninja. The real Ninja ate him. And
that was the end of the gingerbread Ninja.
Lesson: Don’t be fooled by a stranger.
TitanicGray Ryan
Clark Grade 2
The Titanic sunk, that’s a bummer
Now it is like a toilet and needs a plumber.
There were first, second, and third class on board
Granted money from the Lord.
The maker said it was unsinkable, but not!
A few people got caught,
But now it lays on the ocean floor.If only it had made it to shore!
- 10 -
Magic BoxKiara Bullard
Jackson-Via Grade 2
I will put into my box silky gold hay
the softness of orange blankets
whispers of the wind
I will put into my boxthe sound of jaguars sneaking silently
whales humming in their dreams
apples rolling while milk is flowing
I will put into my boxgreen leaves and ocean
markers and paper to draw the
flags of all countries
I will put into my boxthe sound of maracas shaking
the beat of my brother’s beatboxthe pellets of big raindrops
My box is fashioned fromsmooth and bumpy rocks
I shall swim in my box to California.
The Magic BoxElias Garcia
Jackson-Via Grade 2
I will put in my box a flower that smells like something
the speed of the fastest animal
the tooth of a shark touching a tongue
I will put into my boxa heart that is smiling at me
the sound of a wolf howling
the drops of dripping ink from a pen
I will put into my boxthe sound of a crying, cuddly kid
a million moaning monkeys
the scariest snake-eating snail
I will put in my boxa happy head that hates headphones
a mad man muffling madnessthe founding fathers’ funny frying pan
My box is fashioned fromthe finest gold and silver
I shall dive into my boxin seas of the sweetest thing in the world
The Perfect TomorrowMarcela Miranda Galdamez
Clark Grade 3
If it is a sunny day outside tomorrow, I
will go to the pool and have fun. If it is
raining, I will go outside and jump in the
puddles. If it is snowing, I will go outside and
throw snowballs at my friends. If it is very, very
hot outside, I will go get a bucket full of water
and pour it on myself to cool myself down. If it
is the perfect tomorrow, I will spend time with
my family outside.
Flower ValleyHarper Ullrich
Jackson-Via Grade 1
Flower Valley is a beautiful place to be.
You have to cross a bridge to get there.
In Flower Valley you can go swimming under
the bridge.
In Flower Valley you can’t litter.
In Flower Valley you can play tag all day with
your friends.
In Flower Valley you see bumblebees buzzing
and bunny rabbits nibbling.
Flower Valley is a place to pick flowers all day.
- 11 -
The Magic BoxCarter Ford
Jackson-Via Grade 2
I will put into the box, A seagull laughing at a boar
Soldiers playing baseball in 1920 with food plenty
The German Flag
I will put into the box,Big Ben booming across Bosnia
A Eurassian Mink’s soft fur
Red Rackham riding on a Rhino
I will put into the box, TintinThe Partheonon looking at a polygon
Yellow Yaks yearning Yugoslavia
I will put into the box,Black Bluebirds beating bums
White Waluruses warning warts
Fans cheering with Cheerwine
My box is fashioned from the wood of the baseball bat of Babe Ruth.
I shall play baseball in my box, with Lou Gehrig and Shoeless Joe Jackson.
The Story of the Magical Serpents
Christopher MendezClark Grade 4
(Translated by Mariselly Hernandez and Seli Martinez)
Spanish Version:
Se quenta que la serpiente mágica se le
acerco (acento en la o) a un hombre y que lo
hechizo (acento en la o) para que tratara mal
a la gente. El hombre moriría de no hacerle
caso. La serpiente le dijo, “Yo le advierto que
usted morirá.” El hombre corrió, y la serpiente
también corrió y lo mató. Entonces, otro
hombre vio a la serpiente y la hechizo (Acento
en la o) pero no la mató, sino que la salvó.
Entonces, una mujer vio a la serpiente mágica y
la mató.
English Version:
The magical serpent went to a man and put a
spell on him to be bad to other people. The man
will die if he didn’t listen. And the serpent told
him, “I am warning you that you will die.” The
man ran and then he thought the serpent didn’t
catch up. When he did catch up, then he killed
the man. Then, another man saw the serpent and
he put a bad spell on him, but he didn’t kill him.
Instead, he saved him. Then, a woman saw the
magical serpent and she killed him.
Day and NightJudah Baker
Jackson-Via Grade K
D ay
light, bright
playing, thinking, reading
sunny morning, black night
sleeping, resting, reading
dark, quiet
N ight
Predator and PreyDamion Parham
Jackson-Via Grade K
P redator
mean, fiercerunning really fast
tiger chasing a zebra
trying to get away
scared, frightened
Prey
- 12 -
Made for AnotherCaton Yang
CHS Grade 11
I was born in a world full of expectations,
where demands and hopes trailed along
with my shadow, sternly observing my
every action to make sure that no mistake
was left uncorrected. My parents are both
brain surgeons, every minute of their work a
blessing to the community. For me to be half
as gifted would be a great gain for society;
my father always told me that, if anything,
“I had to find a way to be useful to others.” Freshmen year in high school felt like
I had boulders tied to my back. Mental
pressure and physical exhaustion built
off one another, stacking higher than
my textbooks and papers. Each A was
obligatory, “no buts and no Bs.” I never complained. All I wanted was for them to
feel at ease, without having to worry about
the stability of my future.
Every month or two after dinner, my
parents and I would have a “talk;” my parents would ask questions in turn, paying
particular attention to my grades and classes.
I always gave quick, monotonous answers,
hoping that each session wouldn’t drag on.
Towards the end, they would always ask the
same question, “Have you thought about
what you want to do in the future?” I never looked at them when I answered, but I’d
always mutter a “no” or “not really.” During the summer before sophomore
year, my parents brought me to school to
talk with my counselor, an “integral part
of creating a plan for my future.” As each of the school’s most rigorous courses were
slotted into my timetable, I could feel my
heart sinking deeper into my chest. This
was the construction of my concrete road to
success, but I was not the architect; I was
just an observer.
As my parents and I were about to leave,
the counselor stopped us at the door. With
a frown, she told us that, in order for me
to graduate, I would also need three Fine
Arts credits. My father, clearly infuriated,
couldn’t understand why the school would
make “Fine Arts” a required credit. After another half an hour of bickering, art class
took the place of one of my “valuable” classes, a loss that my parents went on and
on about for many days after. I wasn’t sure
how the class would go, but somehow I felt
relieved.
My first day of art class was unlike any lesson I’d had before. Fully expecting an
introduction to the course and a walkthrough
of the syllabus, I was stumped when the
teacher asked us to sketch our holiday.
The prompt was abstract, providing no
explanation to how the work should be done,
yet the other students started immediately.
As I sat puzzled, casting glances to
neighboring pages, I could feel my hands
beginning to sweat. My mind was as
blank as the page before me; I felt lost and
indecisive.
At the end of class, we were asked to
turn our sketches in. I remained seated as
the other students stacked their work on
the table closest to the door. The teacher
walked over to me and picked up my paper,
riddled with erase marks and scratches, but
no distinct image. I struggled to find an acceptable explanation for failing the first class activity of the year, but the teacher
only smiled. She took out a red pen from her
shirt pocket and wrote an A on my paper.
Turning to me, she asked for my name, and I
responded with a slight stammer; at the time,
my face was probably just as red as her pen.
Still smiling, she said, “Don’t worry about
what’s right or wrong; draw what comes to
mind. You’ll find a way to be happy with it.” It was so strange, the idea of starting
something without the guarantee of
perfection.
The days continued, and stress found its
home on my shoulder, whispering into
- 13 -
my ears. Art remained an anomaly among
my classes: challenging, yet a way to free
my mind. In the short class period it took
up, I could forget the tasks that lay waiting
for me to complete. It was as though I was
weightless, exploring a domain free of my
parent’s expectations. I did well in class,
and the teacher said I had good line control
thanks to my steady hands; it’s weird
how qualities you inherit can be used so
differently.
I was surprised when I first started sketching in other classes, quick doodles
whenever my brain had the chance to
wander. My mother found some of them
scribbled in my notebook, but she didn’t
ask about them. By then it was already
junior year, the last full year colleges would
see. My time in art class had encouraged
my talent and honed my skills; I preferred
creating new life on pages over drowning
in the numbing words of the dead. When I
was informed that two of my pieces would
be displayed in our town’s local gallery, I
was ecstatic. My parents never asked about
my art class, so I wanted to show them I was
enjoying it.
That night, after dinner, I remember
trying to ask if they’d be interested in going
to the gallery. Their reaction was haunting,
an immediate mix of shock and anxiety. My
mother and father looked at each other as I
spoke. I dropped my sentence. They shared
quick exchange without words, then they
gradually turned back to me; I didn’t know
who to look at. It was as though they were
trying to understand something vile that had
just been placed in front of them, leaving
them shocked and at a loss for words. I felt
like throwing up.
The moment dragged on, and then my
mother spoke, apprehension thick in her
voice,
“Have you been thinking about what you
want to do in the future?” I didn’t answer at first because I knew
exactly what they were thinking. I didn’t
want to look at them. I couldn’t. But I knew
they expected an answer. When I looked up
once more, I could feel pain searing through
my chest as they stared at me. I could see
their pain just as clearly as I felt mine. I
found it hard to swallow.
For seventeen long years, I had carried
the burdens of their expectation without
complaint or neglect. For seventeen long
years, I had struggled on the road they had
paved with their love and time, knowing that
they only wanted the best for me. But for the
first time in my life, I had found something to take away my pain; a pact with a demon
for a short-lived lover. Shackled by the
freedom and hope she inspires, I rip apart
my soul in exchange for just a few more
hours.
“Mom, Dad, I’m sorry. I don’t know.”L
yd
ia T
ew
ks
bu
ry C
HS
Gra
de 1
0
- 14 -
A Plaid ShirtLena Keesecker
Buford Grade 8
(Untitled, Harlem, New York, 1948, Gordon Parks)
A man of seventeen
in Harlem, New York
facing the world on his own.
A plaid shirt.
The only
source of protection,
besides his family.
A position,
five days a week,leading the midtowners.
A buddy to his friends, a
gang leader to the world.
Gordon Parks sees the world
through a camera lens,
captures,
this man’s life.
A snapshot like a fly frozen in a web,one moment in time.
A step back,
people watching the fight for power.
Watching a blur of plaid,
blood and sweat.
Watching their figure head.
The flash,of camera or of fists.Closing in on this man.
A close up.
LIFE magazine
shows their Red Jackson.
A pen,
that determines the fate of Red.
Two distinct worlds.
One on paper,
one in reality.
Opposites of one man,
with a plaid shirt.
Who wanted to be seventeen,
normally,
but had to live with his fists.
Amanda Haynes
CHS Grade 11
- 15 -
Stories Told in Just Six Words
Mrs. Muse’s Eighth Grade StudentsBuford Grade 8
“I love you, too,” he lied.
• Brianna Avery
Silent night, stars twinkling, we’re watching.
• Patricia Quaye
Her world stopped; his kept turning. • Rosalee Kelly
Whistle blows. Lucky Shot. We lose.
• Yakob Debaere
“The usual?” “Not this time.”
• Cassidy Underwood
Head stuck between a metal fence.
• Min Khant Thu
Burned the haystack. Found the needle.
• Doug Brooks
Toy under couch, unseen, dust growing.
• Max Weaver “We only sell shoes in pairs.”
• Olivia Bryan
But she laughed—and ruined it.
• Talia Marshall
Geek by day; vigilante by night. • Cole Fairchild
An ancient book sat, pages folded.
• Elke Payne
Where do I go from here?
• D. J. Cummings
Human life, slowly learning, slowly dying.
• John Emery
Concert begins: melodious music; crowd erupts. • Daniel Szabo
Sharp, new, yellow pencil—unlimited potential.
• Jasper Crum
Scary monster, dark room, my mirror.
• Lucia Alday-Jover
- 16 -
AutumnElliott Plehn
Venable Grade 3
Leaves falling from trees
Red, yellow and brown are they
Pie makes my nose dance
ThanksgivingMaggie HeaphyVenable Grade 3
Eating soft turkey
Warm gravy drizzled on top
At this awesome feast
NovemberOlivia LongtonJohnson Grade 2
Leaves are falling,
Acorns dropping.
Plants start to wilt.
Winter is coming and Thanksgiving as well.
Animals begin to hibernate.
Geese fly to somewhere warm.Everything is sleeping and calm.
Worst Thanksgiving EverIke Lowry
Burnley-Moran Grade 2
It was Thanksgiving Day when Farmer Max
found out it was the worst Thanksgiving
ever! He saw the turkeys shrinking themselves
with their solid shrinking invention! The turkeys
shrunk into a little bug. Farmer Max was so mad
because he didn’t have any turkey to eat!
ThanksgivingMessiah Brown
Clark Grade 2
On Thanksgiving, I eat lots of yummy foods.
My mom cooks a huge turkey in the big
oven. My dad cooks some candy yams, bacon
salad, and biscuits. I cook the greens. My sister
cooks the fish. My grandma cooks the mashed potatoes. My big brother cooks the stuffing. For dessert, there is pumpkin pie and ice cream. I
love my family to come over for Thanksgiving.FrostNaomi Becker-Montambault
Jackson-Via Grade 1
Frost is on the grass
Frost is bits of ground diamonds
on winter mornings
HaikuNima TamangWalker Grade 6
Today is so cold
You can hear the crunchy leaves
The leaves are so soft
- 17 -
All SeasonsKatie Diego-CruzGreenbrier Grade 1
In winter, I like to play inside.
In spring, I like to play tag.
In summer, I like to go to the beach.
In fall, I like to jump in the leaves.
HaikuEnock Luendo
Walker Grade 6
The clouds come and go,
Like blowing wintery snow
Freezing and chasing.
My Favorite SeasonKaijon Sholes
Clark Grade 3
My favorite season is winter because you
get to go outside and play in the snow.
Do you like playing in the snow?
Snow is very, very fun to play in.
I like playing in the snow
because you can throw snowballs.
HaikuLendy Enriquez-Gonzalez
Walker Grade 6
when I move I crunch.
the winter is so cold,
as I walk in snow.
WinterSamy Gabramedhin
Jackson-Via Grade 2
No flowers growing Chilly, it’s often snowing
Cold, icy weather
In the WinterKaylee Sawyer
Clark Grade K
In the winter I like to build a snowman with
my mommy, daddy, and Emmett.
WinterAmin Zakari
Jackson-Via Grade 2
When the sun looked down,
The white snow sparkled brightly
Melting my snowman.
Fun in WINTERKendall Wheeler
Johnson Grade 3
Warm blankets
In a power outage
Nothing but hot cocoa
Time to play in the snow
Everyone is so excited!
Run! Snowball fight!
- 18 -
Snowday On Its WayMadeleine Jones
Venable Grade 3
Particles rise up
water vapor forming clouds
snowday on its way
SNOW is TRAGIC?Emma Kaufman-Horner
Burnley-Moran Grade 4
Snow!
so beautiful,
so white,
but is it a curse?
You get days off,
but when the time comes,
for a big opportunity,
tragic makes its debut.
Either there’s a delay,
or feeling blue,
whatever the case,
wherever the place,
is snow tragic?
A Snowball FightMyShon Flournoy
Burnley-Moran Grade 2
It was winter break. I had a snowball fight. “Nan nan nan nan nan!” I teased my
brother. I had my snowball ready to go. I threw
the snowball at him. He turned. I threw it in his
eye. Then when I hit him with the snowball he
screamed. “Ahh!” Mom came out. She said,
“Why would you do such a thing?” I said, “We
were just playing.” “Then why did you hit
him?” “Because we were just playing!” Then I
stomped in the door so mad.
Snow DayTucker Wilcox
Burnley-Moran Grade 2
Today we had a snow day. I got to go
sledding with a friend. Me and Grant got
to watch a movie. I also got to go to ACAC’s
warm pool for swimming. I had a very fun day.
Snow DayTerrence Hopkins
Burnley-Moran Grade 2
Today we had a snow day from school. I
got to go to my friend’s house to play
video games. When we were done, we went
outside. We played eight full rounds of a
snowball fight. Then people buried me in the snow. I popped out and scared people. I had a
fun day playing with my friends.
- 19 -
How to Save a SnowmanLeo Krahn
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
If I had a snowman, I would build a glass
dome under my roof so people could see
him. I might shrink him so I could fit him in the freezer. I might take him to the first planet. It’s very cold there, like -280° F.
The SnowballBen BrantleyWalker Grade 6
I apologize, dear sister, for the snowball
That hit you in the face
Thrown from my hand
Yes, well thrown indeed
You see, it’s nothing personal
I spent so much time on it
It simply couldn’t be thrown at a tree
And wasted.
You were within range.
Now, Mother, are you satisfied?
A SnowmanMs. Umbdenstock’s Class
Burnley-Moran Grade K
A snowman should not go under a tree because squirrels will throw acorns at him.
A snowman should not leave his house.
A snowman should not drink hot chocolate.
A snowman should not stand by the firebomb because he will melt.A snowman should not touch a knife because he may poke a hole in himself.
A snowman should not get by a jet because he will fall apart.
A snowman should not be near a fan because he will blow. It can blow him.
A snowman should get something cold because he should not get into hot stuff.
A snowman should not go near a fire.A snowman should not go to the safari because he would tip over.
A snowman should never go out on a sunny day because his left side would melt and the rest would
break apart.
A snowman should not touch the sun because it is hot.
A snowman should not go in a rocket because it is too hot.
A snowman should not go in a helicopter because he will fall apart.
A snowman should not go under the covers because it will be too hot.
A snowman should not drive a car because he would fall down.
A snowman should not drink hot cocoa because he might melt.
A snowman should never go in a frying pan because it is hot.
A snowman should never ride in a car because it is too hot.
A snowman should play with a real person.
- 20 -
Snow is…Ms. Spears’ Class
Burnley-Moran Grade K
Snow is…
beautiful
fun
icy
pretty
white
cold
messy
evil.
(Snow melts.)
Snow falls.
Snow is…
outside here
deep
crazy
dangerous
hard
fun.
SnowStella Goldstein
Venable Grade 3
Snow
glittery snowflakes falling from the sky to land
precipitation
SnowOscar Whitten
Jackson-Via Grade 2
Dancing in the breeze,
So white, sparkling in the sun,
Frosty, icy snow.
Peter Cagnina
Buford Grade 8
- 21 -
Big MountainsChristopher Moses
CHS Grade 12
Snow-covered mountains
In the valley
Below green trees everywhere
Snowy SeaJoelle Norfleet
CHS Grade 12
T he snow is falling down
But not falling softly
Pelting
Angrily drowning
Stinging legs
Biting hands
We venture out into it
Me in my jeans and heavy jacket
All too quickly legs go numb
Jeans give no protection
One
Whole
Block
We traipse through the storm
Our destination the water
Snow piles on the rocky shore
The water of the bay tosses
Grey waves forming white caps under
heavy wind
The mix of snow and ocean is rare
Beautiful
Wild
I am captured
Raw power thrills me
Enthralled
Coldness makes itself known
Legs numb
We stumble home
Maggie Ford
Jackson-Via Grade K
Nilab Sultan
Clark Grade 1
- 22 -
If I Had $100…Senijah Rawlings
Clark Grade 3
If I had $100, I would take my family and we would go on vacation. I would take my little cousins
on a cruise because they like the water. I would buy them clothes, shoes, coats, jackets, sweaters, and
Ode to SpringMax Oickle
Greenbrier Grade 4
Spring is here!
The snow is gone.
What’s this green stuff?
It must be lawn.
When it rains and pours
When sleepy groundhogs wake from snores
When flowers grow from the groundWhen out of the house comes a hound
He runs all around the garden.
He starts chasing the fat, yellow hen.
Spring is a happy time.
When buds start forming on the trees
When baseball bats start to swing
When a cute, little robin starts to sing
Spring
CamelliaMariamu Majuto
Walker Grade 6
I am like a camellia.
When a camellia blossoms, I also blossom.
When the cold wind blows, the flower starts dancing.
I also start dancing.
When the winter arrives, we both start dying.
But, we both remember that spring is coming.
SPRINGBenji Berthy
Jackson-Via Grade 3
Splendid morning times
Pretty
Really awesome
Inspiring
Nature
Gleaming sunlight
whatever else they
want because I love
them with all my heart.
My grandma will
always say, “Never
give up. Always
dream and believe in
yourself. Stay strong
and protect your
family.” So, I would
buy them a house so
that they can stay safe.
Bella Burton
Venable Grade 2
- 23 -
The Broken BusMs. Pedersen’s Class Story
Burnley-Moran Grade K
The little girl went for a walk in the woods.
She found an old, yellow bus parked in
the woods. A young man lived in the bus with a
red bird. The young man said (to the girl), “How
do you do?”
She said, “Hello, I’m fine. Do you live here in this old, broken bus?”
(Young man) “Yes, this is my home.”
(Girl) “How did you come to live here?”
(Young man) “I drove the school bus for
a long, long way and then in a snow storm my
bus slipped and crashed into a tree. I have been
here ever since.”
Just then, a nut fell on the roof of the
bus. A squirrel ran and picked up the nut and
brought it back to his nest in a pine tree.
(Young man) “Will you please help my
bus?”
(Girl) “Yes, I will help you. I am good at
fixing things. I think my friends could help.” (Young man) “To fix it (the bus) I will need a wrench and a screwdriver. And some
nuts and bolts.”
(Girl to bird) “Bird, can you get me a
screwdriver?”
(Girl to squirrel) “Squirrel, can you go
and get us some nuts and bolts?”
The squirrel ran away into the forest.
The squirrel met the bird in the forest. The
bird flew to his nest and came back with a screwdriver. The squirrel came back with his
arms and cheeks stuffed with nuts.
(Young man) “No, No, No—not acorn
nuts. I need tool nuts.”
(Girl) “Okay, let me get more bird
friends to look for parts.”
Suddenly the sky filled with birds and the trees filled with squirrels with tools and screws and nuts for the bus.
(Young man) Well done birds and
squirrels! Now I can fix my bus. The young man got a tray and goes
under the bus and fixes his bus. He starts the bus. He says. “Yes, now it is fixed.” He drops the little girl off at her house
by the creek.
The End
Being a Child of African Descent Leya Doto
CHS Grade 10
For the voices of the African Americans that
went unheard, they lifted their tongues and
spoke of rights and freedom. Whether they were
kindly refusing to move from their seats, or
curiously craving the drive of education, they
stood silently alone but massively effective.
Their silent protests lasted about a day, but were
carried on for years to come.
For years in the early centuries, they
were tormented by many challenges of being
gifted with the melanin in their skin. They
fought hard, and they fought well, but sadly the
fight isn’t over yet. We must continue in their tracks. To provide a better tomorrow, we will
work harder for today.
Being a child of African descent I have
experienced many struggles of racism, but
nothing I’ve been through compares to the
hardships that they had faced. Every day I try to
do my part in lifting the weight that racism has
bestowed against us. Every day, I ask myself:
Am I doing enough? The fight continues every day, but am I using my best weapons? Truly the
blindfold of racism has been diminished over
time. Though like a disease, if it isn’t treated it
will continue to grow every day.
HaikuMassa Johnson
Walker Grade 6
Rain falls on the grass
the grass is very squishy
it is too noisy
- 24 -
RememberedYemaya Delorenzo-Eberly
CHS Grade 9
T he night didn’t agree with me when I left the
smoky parlor, and as I stood in the
flickering glow of the old streetlight, I wondered why that was so. It hadn’t been a long day, at
least it had been no longer than any other, and
I couldn’t remember anything of importance
happening in the distant or near past. I knew
how I must look to strangers walking by, one
solitary figure standing outside a crowded pub, pacing in the faint shivering shine of the light.
But I couldn’t care less. My mind was utterly
consumed by thoughts of the night, and the
nights that had passed, and the nights that still
hadn’t, and the smoke and music that oozed
through the cracks of the parlor door dizzied
me into a motionless stupor against the lamp
post. I spent the better, and the worse, part of
the disagreeable night standing on that sidewalk.
But in all the hours that I was there, I came up
with one intelligible thought.
In the midst of the ill-natured dusk I
realized that in one hundred years, once I was
dead and gone, I would not be remembered. I
was leaving no legacy, no lasting imprint on
the very foundation of society! I was the mere
shadow of a bird as it passed overhead. One
or two people would notice it, but they would
not be changed for their glimpse of the bird’s
shadow. Nor would the bird be changed for
having been seen. I pondered the idea that I was
nothing but a grain of sand in the cement that
held together the bricks that built the walls of
civilization. It also didn’t agree with me. But
as much as I tried to fill my mind with other, less philosophical thoughts, the theory wouldn’t
cease its nagging in the back of my head like
a ballerina backstage itching to lead and twirl
before her audience. Finally it tired of being
smothered and it burst eagerly into the front
of my mind. I had no choice but to pay it my
attention.
“You won’t live forever.” It said to me. “You can’t know that.” I argued back.
“Nobody does.” “I’ll be the first.” “False hope walks hand in hand with
arrogance.” “Then I am arrogant.” “Maybe so, but you are not immortal.” “But I will be remembered!” “Why must you torture yourself in such
a way.” I didn’t answer.
“Why does it matter whether or not you
are remembered after you die? You are dead.
You won’t know either way.” “Wouldn’t you want to make a
difference?” “Who wouldn’t?” “Then why must you ruin it?” I asked in frustration.
“Because we won’t be. So many people
won’t be.” The idea gave me a short pause to
breathe in the cool, smoky, night air before it
continued, “You may have children. They will
remember you. You may have grandchildren,
and if you are lucky, they may remember you
too. Maybe even great-grandchildren. But you
can’t be remembered forever.” “Why not?” “You can’t be there to remind others of
you. Minds are fickle and choosey. They can’t keep everything in and so with every stranger
that pays a visit, or every math equation taught
in school, the minds keep the shiny new things,
and the dusty old ones are left far behind.” “Well, there are ways to remember
things! Remember people!” “You can’t help it. One day you will be
a dusty old memory. Maybe someday far down
the way somebody will glance at a photograph
of you, and wonder about you. Maybe they will
think about who you were, what you were. But
then their mind will get bored, and a shiny new
memory will take your barely sat-in seat.” I stayed silent and the idea did too.
Maybe it had said all it had to. It knew that
I knew now. I looked at it from every angle,
studied it for hours like a polished, well-worn
- 25 -
river stone, but with the shiny new dawn came
shiny new ideas and my feeble mind easily
shifted to the newer ideas and with a barely
whispered melancholy farewell, the dusty old
idea that had sat in its seat in the front of my
mind for hours let go and let a new idea take its
place. As it faded, I felt a pang, as if an old dear
friend had died, but the feeling soon passed, and
as I stood and dusted off my pants, my shiny
new ideas led me home, blissfully unaware of
the dusty old memories that I was leaving in my
wake.
Memories of YouSarah Hale
CHS Grade 9
You are everywhere,
You are everywhere,
Crowding the head and filling the mind,When eyes drift closed and head lulls back,
Fiction turns to fact,
Some listless tune for a long ago past,
A faint lullaby for the half forgotten,
An endless dialogue mumbling on,
As scenes sharpen and blur,
The graying images that were once bright,
A sound becomes a bitter taste,
Nostalgia cages the heart,
A stranger mutters on,
Weaving a story of time,
Who are you and
Who have you become?
My Favorite MemoryBria Rose
Greenbrier Grade 3
My favorite memory is when I went to
North Carolina. I went to a big hospital.
I saw my uncle in the hospital room. I got to
wear a doctor’s suit. I got to go where doctors
get all their supplies. I got to eat dinner with my
uncle. After I ate my dinner, I got ice cream. I
will always remember that in my heart—I will
always love my uncle. It also inspired me to be
a doctor.
My Favorite Second Grade Memory
Zoe KershnerBurnley-Moran Grade 2
My favorite second grade memory was
writing the ransom note. We wrote the
ransom note to Mrs. Demchak because we had
her bag and it was a good time to do a letter
writing. We asked, in our demands, for a book
and some games. We only got back the games.
Mrs. Busching and Mr. Spencer played along.
First we made a web, then we made a rough
draft, and lastly we made a final copy for Mrs. Busching, Mrs. Demchak, and Mr. Spencer. It
was really fun!
If I Were PresidentOlivia Ramirez-Weaver
Greenbrier Grade K
If I were president, I would help the
environment. I would stop pollution.
Pollution is bad for the environment.
A MemoryZaniah Walker
Clark Grade 2
When I was six years old, I went fishing with my dad, stepmother, and my two
little brothers. The only person who caught a
fish was my dad and one of my brothers. I was very mad at everyone, so I asked to get on the
boat. I caught five fish, but my brother took two of them. So, I took all ten of his and he was
mad and tried to tackle me, but I moved and he
fell in the water. He got madder and madder,
so I helped him get out of the water. He started
to chase me. When we got back to the sand he
made me fall, and I was mad.
- 26 -
The Sombrero MonsterShahad Almolhem
Buford Grade 8
(Inspired by Wandjina by Unknown)
The monster of the dead and deceased
impossible to believe
spends its time spreading fear and trepidation
making people dread the worst
with eyes like roaches
he can see into your soul
and even with no mouth
he can devour you whole
he accessorizes his head with a sombrero made
of needles
to pick away at your skin
and send you screaming
he loves to kill and hunt his prey
but he will never take his last breath
he has no official form, but black spots roaming around him
and he can evaporate into thin air
then arrive again,
with no intention
other than to eliminate
many have tried to fightbut all end up dead
and worst of all
he thinks its justice
that getting rid of the humans who have done
wrong will make it right
but he doesn’t know that he’s the monster we all
have nightmares about,
and as long as he thinks what he’s doing is right
he’ll never think twice about taking another bite.
MonstersKiki DowellCHS Grade 9
“Grrr!” The thing pounced on me
causing an ear-splitting scream to leave my
mouth.
“Mom!” I cried knowing it was only a
matter of seconds before the creature made its
final move. “Go to sleep, John,” she moaned
exhaustingly from the room next to mine. “Mom, help me! Mom! Mom!” I
screeched at the top of my lungs.
My door flew open with a bam as it hit the wooden wall beside it. Suddenly the tight
pressure on my chest where the thing had placed
its paws was now gone. My mother stood in the
doorway, exhaustion and anger radiating from her being. Her breath was heavy as her chest
pumped up and down furiously.
“What,” she gritted her teeth to keep
from yelling, “do you want?”
“Th-there was a monster, Mom,” I
panted, trying to catch my breath. “I swear. It
was big w-with claws and a tail and bad breath
and —”
“I don’t see any monster, John,” she
stated while glancing around the room.
“B-but it was there! I swear I’m not
lying, Mom!”
“You probably saw a monster in your
dreams. We can talk about it in the morning if
you want but for now it’s bedtime,” she sighed,
exasperation clear in her tone of voice. “But Mom—” I tried to say but was cut
off as she left the room, slamming the door shut
behind her.
I scooted further back into my bed as
a tall, dark figure rose from the area where my mother stood only seconds ago. The monster
tilted its head, slowly making its way to me. I
cried for help once again as the thing opened its
grimy jaws revealing rows upon rows of sharp
teeth. Instead of receiving help, all I got was
another shout from my mother telling me to go
back to sleep.
Using its claws he gripped my shirt and
pulled me off of the bed. All I could think of
was the fact that my last few minutes in this
world were spent in the claws of an ugly beast
while my mother got her precious beauty sleep.
The thing threw me into his mouth,
swallowing me whole. And forever there I stay.
- 27 -
when i dance (Witness Poem)
Elodie PriceBuford Grade 7
leanora sutter
my daddy told me about a man named robert
frost,
a poet.
says his daddy died when he was only twelve.
i was around that age when my mamma died.
robert frost says his words just come to him,
no poem is rushed.
i’m the same way.
when i dance,
the motions just flow through melike the breeze on a spring day.
i don’t feel pain,
or anger.
just the way that my arms fly andmy feet soar,
above the ground.
i forget about this town,
the klan,
merlin and willie.
i forget about the hole in my heart
that my mamma used to fill.
i just dance.
robert frost wrote his first poem about a butterfly wing he came upon one day.he wrote:
it seemed God let thee flutter from his gentle clasp:
then fearful he had to let thee win
too far beyond him to be gathered in,
snatched thee, o’er eager, with ungentle grasp.
it reminds me of my mamma,
and how i wish God had held onto her
tighter than he had held onto the butterfly.
Witness Book:
Hesse, Karen. Witness. USA: Scholastic Inc., 2001.
My Butterfly poem:Frost, Robert. My Butterfly.1915. Bartleby.com. <http://www.bartleby.com/117/31.html>. 12/14/14
Biography.com:bio. Robert Frost. 14 Dec. 2014. A&E Television Net-
works. <http://www.biography.com/people/robert-frost-20796091>.
Robert Frost Book:
McIntosh Wooten, Sara. Robert Frost. Berkeley Heights:
Enslow Publishers, Inc., 2006
Cream Cone, Cream ConeAnton Weder
Venable Grade 2
So they danced until there broke a layer of
fog,
And the pussy fell over a rotten log.
“O let us go home, I want a cream cone.”
And they started to walk and they always talked,
So they went home in the beautiful pea-green
boat,
And pussy put on a coat.
They sailed away, in the month of May,
And they went home and the pussy got a cream
cone
cream cone,
cream cone,
And they went home and the pussy got a cream
cone.
Roses in the MorningEmma Bennett-McConnell
Jackson-Via Grade 1
Roses drinking rain
Rain helps roses grow tall
Thorny red rose
- 28 -
Neva Boyd
Clark Grade 1
Dominique Robinson
Walker Grade 6
Kenneth Tabilas
Walker Grade 6
- 29 -
Laur
en S
chofi
eld
Walk
er
Gra
de 6
CakeJamonnie Johnson
Jackson-Via Grade 3
Sweet, delicious
icing, baking, eating
not just for birthdays
dessert
Hershey’s KissLydia Ma
Greenbrier Grade 4
Look at a chocolate kiss of perfection,
Hear the crackle of the glorious wrapper
coming off,
Smell a smell worthwhile,
Taste it and savor it,
Feel like you need another one.
Cheese PuffsNathaniel McKee
Clark Grade 3
I love the sea of orange and all the cheesy
goodness.
It heals my hunger.
I dive into the bag like it is a giant pool,
all because I am very, very hungry.
EmbarrassedShanell Afriyie
Jackson-Via Grade 1
Embarrassed is like a banana. It’s sad; it’s mad. You just feel like falling down
because people can see all of it, like falling off
an edge. It is just like a banana that just got
eaten.
Things I Don’t LikeMason Divers
Greenbrier Grade 2
Something I don’t like to eat is jalapenos. I
don’t like to eat very spicy things.
Jalapenos are good to some people, but I never,
ever want another one. I’ve tried them, but I
don’t like them.
I Like Many ThingsLandon Neal
Greenbrier Grade 2
I like eating crispy chicken. I like seeing
funny dogs run around. I like learning
math. I like sleeping in my bed. I like when my
grandma makes yummy key lime pie.
I don’t like some things, like getting
really wet. I don’t like wet, squishy snow in my
shirt. I don’t like getting bruises from riding my
scooter.
But, my favorite things are funny
monkeys. I like it when they slip and eat
bananas. These are a few things I like and
dislike.
- 30 -
Josue Hernandez-Cruz
Jackson-Via Grade 4
My HeartLeonardo Chimal-Martinez
Greenbrier Grade K
I love my heart. It gives me energy. Also,
it can pump blood through my body.
I love it.
My Favorite Body PartPatrick Daly
Greenbrier Grade K
I like my brain because it helps you to
think, and it also helps you to listen,
too. The brain helps you to feel things and
touch things. The brain is a helpful part of
your body.
I LoveReid Douglas
Greenbrier Grade K
I love my brain because it helps me
remember stuff. I love my mouth because it
helps me talk to people I know. I love my heart
because it tells me when I’m tired and when I’m
not tired.
Walker Lloyd
Buford Grade 7
- 31 -
Hannah Winstead
CHS Grade 11
Raini Sabin
CHS Grade 9
My BodyCaleb Swanson
Greenbrier Grade K
I love my body because it does
everything for me. I love myself
because I do everything for me. I
love my brain because it tells me
what to do. It tells me: Do you
know what to do? I say yes!
- 32 -
Molly Ottinger
Johnson Grade 3
Four Men in CombatMax Sweet
Johnson Grade 4
F our men in combat,
fighting horribly.Turmoil happening in souls.
Deep, strong, and painful
The dead lying peacefully
While loud screams sound.
A beautiful horse posed
on the ground.
Love is absent,
Only silent stillness
Inside the bleak and hollow cave.
Four men in combat,
fighting horribly.Clouds of past memories
Once four friends
Until a fateful day,
When each killed another.
Sadness, anger, and bitterness
No winner emerges
War succumbs to peace.
I Am a Bald EagleMadison LongVenable Grade 1
I am a bald eagle. I feel happy when I fly over the USA. I see lots of things. I think
that I am free. My nest is big. I want to fly away and I can fly as high as the sky. I have a wingspan that is 7–12 feet long.
If I Could Make Something Disappear
Grace DuffyJohnson Grade 3
If I could make anything disappear, it would
be sadness. I want the world to be a happier
place. There would be no fights if everyone agreed. All would get along and there would be
peace in the world.
My Dream for the WorldIsabelle Park
Johnson Grade K
My dream for the world
Is that everyone has a home,
Is that everyone has clothes,
Is that everyone has clean water.
Xinmeng Zheng
Walker Grade 5
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Savannah Wood
CHS Grade 11
AirforceSavannah Marsh
Clark Grade 4
You started in 1947
Taking the battle to the Heavens
Pilots like all veterans
They just keep an eye on things from the sky
Across the sky you fly keeping us safeWe thank you from Earth to space
If the pilots are told to commence
A lot of enemies will die
Air Force, a great line of defense
Thank you, thank you, thank you all to the
Air Force
HeroForcey Learmonth
Johnson Grade 2
I want to be an army man when I grow up.
I would wear a nice uniform and fight for justice in all the countries of the world.
I would be brave. I would work as hard as
I could and would be a hero. I would make
the world a better place and try to make
people happy.
Acrostic Coast Guard Veteran PoemLeander St Ours
Clark Grade 4
Very bravely defend our seas
Every Coast Guard has done well
The water is safer thanks to you
Everyone is protected thanks to your bravery
Rivers, lakes, streams and ALL bodies of water are safe, thanks to you
Aircraft carriers to protect the air, battleships, cruisers, and destroyers to keep the waters safe
Nothing will get past these totally awesome defenses. I salute you.
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Beautiful LightsElla-Mae PriceVenable Grade 3
Colorful sky sways
Aurora Borealis
sky dark with colors
PurpleHana Inazu
Venable Grade K
A Lauren monster lives in a Lauren house!
She is PURPLE! She hits me all the time.
She does not let me come in her house. She
loves the song Let It Go! She eats PURPLE
food.HappyDevante Dowell
Clark Grade 2
Happy is blue
Like playing Sharks and Guppies in PE
and also like school
It reminds me of the time I first went to Clark School
It makes me feel excited like shopping at Game
Stop
It makes me want to run!
What Is Green?Mia Tyree
Burnley-Moran Grade 3
Green is the wet morning grass
and the swaying of the trees
and the cool country breeze.
Dill and cucumber have a lovely green taste,
basil and hazel have a lovely green sight.
Green is a feeling of angry and mad.
Bri
Jo
rdan
C
HS
Gra
de 1
2
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Color Gallery
BR
JD
A
cadem
ic P
rogra
mGrasen Davis
Johnson Grade 4
Anton Haag
Buford Grade 7
- 36 -
Anna Ford
CHS Grade 10
Kie
rra W
ard
C
HS
Gra
de 1
2
Amanda Haynes
CHS Grade 11
Rachel Manto
CHS Grade 10
- 37 -
Ellie Fore CHS Grade 10
David VanDyken Clark Grade 2
- 38 -
Melvina Gboley
Johnson Grade K
Ta’miyah Eubanks
Burnley-Moran Grade 2
Mick Wade
Jackson-Via Grade K
- 39 -
Mia Read
Greenbrier Grade 2
Harper Tidwell
Walker Grade 5
Tre Coles
Walker Grade 6
- 40 -
An
nie
Fru
scell
o V
enable
Gra
de 2
A
rian
a W
hit
e C
lark
Gra
de 2
L
au
ren
In
azu
Venable
Gra
de 2
Valeria Quezada-Romera Clark Grade 2
- 41 -
Rosemary Boatner-Doane
CHS Grade 9
Isabella Ciambotti
CHS Grade 12
Nick Givens
CHS Grade 10
Sophie Dukes
CHS Grade 10
- 42 -
Cade Young
Buford AQ 7
Jayvion Clark
Burnley-Moran Grade 4
- 43 -
Maggie Winter
Jackson-Via Grade 2
Naomi Becker-Montambault
Jackson-Via Grade 1
- 44 -
Ethan Busching
CHS Grade 11
Chloe Jacoby
CHS Grade 9
- 45 -
Nasiyah Lewis
Walker Grade 6Claire LeBlond
CHS Grade 11
BRJD Academic Program
- 46 -
Elizabeth Bambury CHS Grade 9
Zoe Webster CHS Grade 10
- 47 -
Bailey WhitfieldWalker Grade 5
Kadaizhia Randolph
Walker Grade 5
Aidan Hockett
CHS Grade 10
- 48 -
Amya Rodriguez
Clark Grade 1
Meg Gist
Walker Grade 5
Julia Minnerly
Johnson Grade 2
Elaina Pierce
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
- 49 -
Rebekah Zafra
Greenbrier Grade K
Kh
aliyah
Massie
Jackson
-Via
Gra
de 1
Marg
are
t L
ath
er
Bufo
rd G
rade 8
Hu
nte
r W
alk
er
Gre
enbrier
Gra
de 1
- 50 -
Amalynne Hairston
Venable Grade 4
Anton Weder
Venable Grade 2
- 51 -
An Ode to MusicMorgan AntesWalker Grade 6
The instruments of string start giggling,
from the tickling sensation of the bow.
The woodwinds start singing their graceful
music, their tune like a flying butterfly.
All percussion players start to hit their drums,
they are like karate fighters hitting a punching bag.
Saxophones had begun their smooth tune of jazz,along with the piping oboe starting to sound with
their tone of smooth silk.
I take a short breath before I have to play again,
while I listen and look at the tiny dots on the
pages.
Sometimes I wish I could put the heavenly music
into a jar, and listen to it whenever I wanted to.
But since I can’t,
I guess live music is good enough for now.
The Power of MusicGrace GilbertCHS Grade 11
Strapping tunes can change the mood
From one of happiness to one of pain.
Strums of an acoustic guitar
Can release endorphins in the brain.
Images of heartbreak and love
Can be conjured from a tune.
While slow, raspy melodies
Make any listener swoon.
For music is the cleanser
By which the soul becomes new.
Strong waves of glorious sound
Performed by only a few.
Music has such an influence,It is able to change a day.
However this begs the question,
What is music without emotions for it to prey?
Caroline McLellan
Buford Grade 7
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The PerformerTilden Fernandez
CHS Grade 9
Standing there, on the stage.
Standing there, on the stage.
The lights glow behind him,
silhouetting him against golden light.
A lone music stand, in front of a lone figure.The audience watches, silently
Waiting to hear him.
He raises the instrument
Bringing it from at rest to his shoulder
He breathes, then begins.
His hands move together,
Working in harmony to create something
beautiful,
And help the instrument sing.
His bow moves, drawing the string;
As his fingers dance on the neck of the instrument,
His whole body sways to the music.
He leans forward as the music rises.
His eyes are closed now, as he concentrates,
And on his face in the smallest of smiles.
The tune slows, the notes each blending
together,
Building on each other, each supporting the
next;
And together forming a melody.
The musician plays lovingly,
Holding each pitch almost longer than it
should be held,
Pouring endless emotion into each
movement.
The song comes to a climax—
The violin singing spellbindingly higher
than a soprano’s voice.
The violinist’s face closed in concentration.
As the final notes ring out, the audience is left awed.
Then, as on the rise,
Thunderous applause resounding where
clear notes were a moment before.
He still stands on the stage
Not having moved since allowing the
concluding note to end
His hands still ready to coax the violin to
life again.
As the spectators cheer, he relaxes
His violin returns to resting in front of him
And he takes a small bow.
After the show he sits backstage, thinking.
He is happy with his performance,
And he is happy that he was able to spread
his love of music with others who adore
it too.
Zoie Napper
Buford Grade 8
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The AuditionClaire DeGuzman
Burnley-Moran Grade 4
It was the day,
the day I had to play,
for it to go my way,
to get my part.
It was my turn,
my stomach started to churn,
but all I had to learn,
was to show my performing art.
Onto stage I went,
mistakes I was trying to prevent,
I got to my place, it was my descent,
and then the music was a start.
It was my cue,
and all I had to do,
what the others did too,
was to show how good we are.
I did what I needed to show,
I was about to blow,
because I didn’t know,
was I up to par? Ana Kendrick
CHS Grade 10
Alan Mendoza
CHS Grade 12
- 54 -
I Want to BeRosie Teran Lopez
Greenbrier Grade 1
I want to be a pop star because I will get lots
of dresses, and I will be famous. I will get a
big apartment and walk the runway. I will sing
lots of songs at concerts. I will have lots of fans.
I want to be a famous pop star!
The HarpRyan Wilkins
Johnson Grade 4
Humming sweetly,
The wind whispers to a
wolf
Run and find the boyLead him to this
pleasant harp
Here, he will findWhat he has been
searching for.
My Music BoxLucy McLellan
Greenbrier Grade 3
One of my special objects is my mouse
music box. The mice spin around and do dances. It is special because my great-
grandmother gave it to me. It reminds me of
her. It also plays very pretty music. It is a good
song to dance with (ballet). I can practice all the
moves I’ve learned with that music. The music
box is one very special thing I have.
Isaac Kenner CHS Grade 9
Just Like Henry “Box” Brown
Owen RoysterBurnley-Moran Grade 1
If I were in a box like Henry “Box” Brown, I might be feeling sick. I would feel hungry
and get a headache. I might feel dizzy from
being upside down. I would try not to be loud.
How far would you go to be free? Would you
mail yourself just like Henry “Box” Brown?
A Boy Named BobZeniah Richardson
Clark Grade 1
A little boy was named Bob.
He said he was really sick.
He stayed home.
He played video games.
He was not sick at all.
His mom made him go back to school.
- 55 -
The GameAidan Peters
Burnley-Moran Grade 4
Onto the field Into the dugout
To the mound
Across the green grass
Inside the stadium
Over the wall
Underneath the lights
Past the fieldBy the runners
Upon the dirt
Against the wall
From the ballpark
I PLAY
BASEBALL
Jesse OwensHailey Preuss
Greenbrier Grade 2
In the Olympic Games in 1936, Jesse Owens
was the only black player on the team.
Boom! The gun shot, and the racers ran. Jesse
Owens was in the lead. Jesse won! “Yay! Yay!”
the crowd cheered. In the long jump, Jesse flew through the air and won another gold medal.
It was time for the 200 meter. Boom! The gun
shot. Jesse was in the lead. He went faster and
faster and faster. He won! Now the 4x100 meter: Boom! The racers ran off. The crowd went wild.
“Yay, you can do it!” yelled the crowd. The
other runners tried to catch up with Jesse. They
couldn’t! He won his fourth gold medal!
I AmEh Nay Soe
Walker Grade 5
I am a boy who loves soccer
I wonder how computers work
I hear my big brother playing guitar in Thailand
and Virginia
I see two elephants in Thailand playing
I want war to stop
I dream about playing soccer for Real Madrid
I am a boy who loves soccer
Laura Holt
CHS Grade 11
- 56 -
Going to New York and a Red Bull Game
Augus MunroClark Grade 4
Our class should go on a field trip to a MLS soccer game. My friends and I love
soccer. We always debate who is the best, Messi
or Ronaldo. I think Messi is the best, but really
I just want to go to a MLS Red Bull game. It
would be so much fun! My friends and I would
be cheering. We would have lots of memories
and souvenirs. We would take so many pictures
and get so much food and drinks. Then, we
would go on to tour New York, and we would
go to a special place for lunch and dinner.
.
Forever AgoZoe MorelandWalker Grade 6
What seemed like forever ago,
my husband left,
to help raise our sinking ship.
Although it had just been last year,
it seemed like forever ago.
Forever ago my husband left,
leaving behind his old hopes
in a small bag,
for later.
Forever ago my husband left.
Forever ago my husband left.
Now, I sat with our two boys.
Two and three I think they were.
But I had been long gone
forever ago,
when my husband left.
Just today, I received a yellow letter.
A telegram it was called.
It sat in my hand
staring at me,
with angry, red eyes.
Because, it was forever ago
when my husband left.
Dread filled my face as I teared through the paper.
Carefully, with shaking fingers,I opened the note.
Hoping, it wouldn’t be forever
until my husband returned.
The words sank into my heart,
and reality gave me a swift kick.
When I felt the tears slip down my cheeks,
I didn’t care as I once had.
Because, my husband had left forever ago,
and he would never return.
BASKETBALLNicalas Motley
Walker Grade 6
Bouncing basketballs
Airballing assist
Stealing, shooting
Kicks KDs
Every exciting fan Traveling team
Balling buckets
Alley-oop assist
Long lines
Like Lebron
Devil’s BackboneElsa Miller
Johnson Grade 2
Our covered wagons were coming close to
Devil’s Backbone in Oregon. I had heard
stories about this dangerous part of our trip. I
started to shiver with fear. The wagons in front
of us were wobbling and shook. My aunt’s
wagon tipped and her quilt fell down the cliff. I
was so scared! I trembled. The rocks beneath us
began to fall. Our trail guide knew the way and
luckily steered us in the right direction. I was so
happy when our wagon train later made it safely
across.
- 57 -
The Way We StandAri Pyle
Walker Grade 6
My feet started to sweat
I almost fell
I was trying,
trying to show them,
show them how strong we are
I felt my heart drop,
the look they gave me,
It made me cry inside.
Why me?
I would tell myself
“If looks could kill we would be goners,”my co-worker had scared me out of my suit
I felt as if my justice was more though
I will show them, show
them my power
our power
I stepped they
did too
We were ready.
Ready to show them our power.
A Lonely PathGeorgia Trainum
Walker Grade 6
A lonely path I may walk
A broken dream
A broken struggle
It used to be smooth
It used to be wonderful
But something tore it apart
It tore apart the love that was once here
It tore apart all the people who used to walk
this path
It tore apart everything and now I am the only
one who walks this path
A lonely path that I may walk.
Where I RoamDestini Monroe
Walker Grade 6
The abandoned sidewalk is where I roam
I walk on this sidewalk every day
This is the sidewalk where there are no trees
waving back at you
They stand still
I’m waiting to see a person at the end
But still no one appears
I’m a figure that no one knowsI will die alone
Until that day comes
This abandoned sidewalk is where I will roam
The Lonely RoadReagan Weaver
Walker Grade 6
It’s always been a lonely road,
but I promise I will help you through,
don’t worry about the others,
the only thing that matters is you.
It’s always been a lonely road,
don’t do anything you shouldn’t do,
you have people who care,
oh please keep carrying through.
It’s always been a lonely road,
please listen to me love,
I promise it gets better,
just look up to the doves.
Empty and AloneZoe DeGuzman
Walker Grade 6
Staring down into the street
No commotion but the wind
Not one sight but the troubled gray sky
As the only one to be seen
No one else by my side
To savor the depressing stroll
Of a walk down the street
With me.
- 58 -
A Perfect GrainTalia MarshallBuford Grade 8
(In which Zhaleh Blocks out the Haters)
Once, a long time ago in Persia, there lived
a girl and a boy, named Zhaleh and
Bahram respectively. They began as friends,
but their friendship eventually turned sour.
Zhaleh would have been happy to continue to
be friends with Bahram, but time went on and
they grew apart; Bahram beginning to insult
Zhaleh with his scornful comments. He chose to
point out faults—Zhaleh’s and everyone else’s.
He built up his confidence by lowering others’. Eventually, Zhaleh went out of her way to avoid
Bahram—in the marketplace, on the streets—
everywhere.
Soon they came to the age when they
were to begin working in the fields. The Fieldmaster set Zhaleh and Bahram working
next to each other, which was a very unfortunate
decision. Zhaleh began to harvest the durum
her way—carefully severing one stalk of wheat
from its roots, placing it neatly in her basket,
and once she had a small amount, sitting to pull
the grains from the top, and once more placing
them in her basket. She saw the plants as friends
that she didn’t want to harm. Bahram on the
other hand, had another way, which he, as was
his custom, thought was the best and the most
efficient. He grabbed a handful of wheat, pulled as hard as he could, and ended up with small
grains filling his basket much faster than Zhaleh did.
Looking into Zhaleh’s basket with a
sneer, Bahram proclaimed, “Wow. You spend
forever harvesting each individual grain and you
still can’t get a full basket? You’re so slow.”
Zhaleh, having heard these types of
comments many times before, gave Bahram her
winning death stare and continued her work.
He stood still for a moment, trying to mimic the
glare he had just witnessed, but couldn’t. So, he
decided to send another degrading wisecrack
toward Zhaleh. “Hey, guess who didn’t win the
music competition?” This was quite a touchy subject for Zhaleh, as she had won the music
competition every year before this, but had
lost her nerve this year. So, she continued her
work, and Bahram, no longer seeing the fun of
insulting her, continued his, until he had an idea.
“Hey Slow Zhaleh. If you think you’re
so great, I challenge you. Whoever can harvest
the most grain approved by the Fieldmaster
when the sun reaches its highest point will have
their salary given to the other for the rest of the
week.”
“Deal.” She replied without looking up.
“GO!” He answered, grabbing a handful of stalks and thinking it was impossible for him
to lose to a girl.
The sun climbed in the sky, Bahram
using his “superior” method, and Zhaleh using her method. Soon, Bahram looked up and the
sun was above him. “STOP! SLOW ZHALEH!
STOP!”
Bahram had filled two baskets with grain and Zhaleh had only half filled one, but she was not worried. They each carried their respective
baskets to the shade of the Fieldmaster’s hut.
“Hello Fieldmaster,” Bahram said, his voice like smooth honey, “We were wondering
if you could examine our harvests and see which
one of us has harvested the greatest quantity of
high-quality grain.”
“As you wish, Bahram,” the Fieldmaster replied, as he was a friend of Bahram’s father,
and Bahram’s father had also given him some
money.
“Look at her’s first,” Bahram said, giving Zhaleh his joke of a death stare. The
- 59 -
Fieldmaster took Zhaleh’s basket from her and
gasped as he combed his fingers through it.
“So many perfect grains! Why, they
are all perfect! How do you do it?” He handed her basket back and took one of Bahram’s. He
began to scrutinize it, dropping cracked grain
after bruised grain to the earth, until only one
remained. Taking his other basket, he did the
same. “Congratulations Zhaleh,” he proclaimed, “You are our best grain harvester yet! And you,
Bahram,” he looked at Bahram, “are our worst harvester yet!”
And thus, Zhaleh learned to live the life
of the most respected person in the community,
and Bahram never forgot that “Haste Makes
Waste.”
Witness PoemCleo Engle
Buford Grade 7
there’s a magician,
movin’ all over the world,
goes by the name of harry houdini.
word is he can escape from anything.
wonder if he knows how lucky he is,
to be able to escape.
he came over to america when he was young.
from hungary.
he escaped from there all right.
ran away from home when things got bad.
escaped.
came home after he found a way to make
money.
helped support his family.
they didn’t need to escape.
whenever things got bad again.
he found an outlet.
an imaginary way to escape.
kept on doing it.
started making money.
kept supporting his family.
kept escaping the bad.
kept growing famous.
when he hit a wall,
found a dead end,
he climbed right back out.
i can’t climb out.
i can’t escape.
not from this town.
it’s got me locked up so tight
not even harry houdini could escape.
wish my momma was here.
bet i wouldn’t feel quite so trapped if she was.
she always did have a way of lighting up a
room.
sure could use that light.
it’s getting pretty dark down here.
and momma always did shine brightest in the
dark.
maybe with her help
i could spring free of my chains.
just like harry houdini.
but i am not harry houdini.
and momma is not here.
Leanora Sutter, Harry Houdini
www.thegreatharryhoudini.com
www.biography.com/people/harry-houdini-40056
www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/houndini/timeline/index.html?
PHPSESSID=f45ba702674262685e677ce215130367
Where I Am FromChris Nocks
Walker Grade 6
I am from cleaning is key.
I am from where you pick up the slack.
I am from when one gets in trouble, all do.
I am from sports and staying active.
I am from eating right.
I am from no sweets, only on occasion.
I am from going on vacations.
I am from visiting family for the summer.
I am from don’t mess with someone, you won’t
get none.
I am from cooking and becoming a man.
I am from room staying straight.
- 60 -
My Cutie McPluffikinsCole FairchildBuford Grade 8
Naia always was different. Her eyes bulged
out a little, she had this long scar running
down her chest, she talked with a weird muffled voice, but she was always garrulous. Despite her
constant talking, she never seemed to learn as
fast or understand things like other kids could.
Ever since preschool, she spent about two hours
a day doing homework, and at times, she acted
peculiar and different. Naia is my sister. She has
Down syndrome, which to some means she’s
weird or odd; others might call her retarded.
Growing up with Naia, I never saw her
as “different.” She had her imaginary friends, Kakachuna and Kakabuli, and always had
nicknames for me
like “You’re my
Cutie McPluffikins” or some other
concocted name like
that. I remember
when we were very
young, Naia worked
on a phonetics
workbook that was
accompanied by a
recording to improve
her pronunciation
and help her with
speaking. She would sit at the table, put her
headphones on, and speak along with the taped
voice: “Ham-bur-ger. Bi-cy-cle. Tel-e-vi-si-
on.” After she was done with each lesson, I would do the same words just to compete with
her and show off. At that point, I was naïve
to the discrimination and prejudice for those
who had disabilities. As Naia and I got older,
I began to notice her “friends” forsake her and others who gave her weird stares. Naia ßbecame
more isolated, all because she was “different.” Through that stage in my life, when I began
to see the disparities between other children
and her, I loved her and accepted her for who
she was—a funny, independent, smart, bossy,
imaginative, curious girl who, to me, was just
like everybody else.
Naia taught me a lesson that it’s okay to
be different: to look different, to act different,
to learn differently, to be socially different,
to be different, period. As I got older, I also
learned all these scientific facts that doctors and other spit out in rote: Down syndrome is a
chromosomal disorder in which there are three
chromosomes on the 21st pair, etcetera, etcetera,
etcetera. All the objective information could
rattle on and on, but I wouldn’t care. Naia is the
same Naia whom I’ve always seen and known.
It doesn’t matter
if it’s Naia having
conversations with
her imaginary
boyfriend,
Fredrick, or her
getting the whole
family together
to act out The
Sound of Music,
or her getting in
trouble for saying
the F-word. Many
memories flood in, like her winning
the family spelling
bee or her passing
her 9th grade history SOL. These are those small
moments in time when I know that Naia will
always be the different sister I cherish and love.
Amechia Faulkner
Burnley-Moran Grade 4
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The BeeMaya Figueroa
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
One day a little bee was born! And
do you know that bees can fly when they are born? He had no friends. One
day he saw a rainbow! The rainbow saw
the bee! The bee said, “ Would you be my
friend?” The rainbow said, “yes”!
The BeeSelena Roberts
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
Once there was a bee, he was a very strange
bee. He took a bath in a mountain. All
the other bees thought he was weird. He was
very sad. Then one of the bees made him happy
again.
BeesAvery Stavitski
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
Bees buzz around the water fountain. When
bees need a water break, they stop at the
water fountain. But one day the bee went and he
died in the water fountain. But he was okay and
lived happily ever after.
Ode to Mendeleev and His TableNikolas Dillery
Walker Grade 6
You may ask who is that guy,
You may ask what did he do,
Well I know both,
Oh his accomplishments,
Oh his holy achievements,
You and your table have sparked my interest,
To me you are as important as water and food,
Your table is talking to me,
Every day and every night,
Giving me knowledge as I sleep and as I read,
Anywhere and everywhere you guide me, my friends,
Without you I don’t know what the world could do,
Oh,
Your table,
Your combination of two,
If only,
If only,
I could see you alive,
Before you fell down,
Before you came down with the horrible Flu,
Going down the river of death in your Canoe,
At least you remain in your table,
The table that is everywhere,
As important as food and drink,
It is a being with the wings of hope,
With elements important in everyday culture,
Oh how I love you and your table Mendeleev.
Why Schools Should Have Cell Phones
Tyla ChesterClark Grade 4
Schools should have cell phones because
kids need to have a faster way to contact
their parents rather than lining up at the
school phone. The teacher could take away
the phone if it was distracting the student.
The kids could silence their phones to avoid
noises. The cell phones could also help them
learn, and when the students are taking tests,
the teacher could put them in a box. When everyone was done testing, they could get
their phones back. I think that if teachers just
had a box that said phones or cell phones on it, they would have control but not too much
control. That way students can learn and get
an education and still have their phones and
fun. That is why schools should have cell
phones.
- 62 -
Boat on the BayMalcolm Brickhouse
Walker Grade 6
The boats on the sea are what I loved
Bobbing up and sinking down
Coming back and leaving again
Anywhere is not a limit for them
From the harbors in Seattle to the rivers
in China
From the Atlantic Ocean to a backyard pond
Riding on the water like a jockey on a horse
Going and going until no land is visible
And the boats on the sea go on forever
Having fun all the while
Breathing in the salty air
Across the ocean where all they hear is silence
By the ports where the city people look
and stare
And they keep on going and going and going
And the journey starts over again
The BrookElisabeth Scharf
Walker Grade 5
The brook is a brook of great magic. When
you sit near it you are taken on a journey
through fantasy and real life, through thoughts
and contemplations, for the birds in the trees
and the cool, clear brook send you into your
own swirling galaxy of thought. You go to
the beach and get washed over with waves
of contemplation. You climb a mountain of
problems and suddenly you get to the top. It
helps you to think and to ponder your questions.
You sit on a branch in a tree in a garden and
ponder the things you don’t understand. You can
think over the disagreements that you have had
while the brook rushes along, and you can think
over sad things while the brook trickles and
flows. You can think of the anger you felt earlier today while it THUNDERS and POUNDS on
the rocks at the bottom. The brook is a good
place to go when you want to relax or to float in a galaxy of thought.
Quinzyah Blair
Venable Grade 1
Emma Hendrix
CHS Grade 12
- 63 -
The School GardenAlejandra Flores
Johnson Grade 2
At the school garden, there was a beautiful
breeze. There were plants everywhere!
Some plants had flowers and some did not. Some plants had edible food on them and
looked yummy!
The garden was so pretty and quiet in the
morning. I touched the stem and the leaves on
one plant. Then I smelled it. The plant was so
clean and fresh.
Being outside was better than inside, even
though the logs weren’t very comfy. I didn’t
mind. It was a very sunny day. It was a good
day!
RiverAnna Pohl
Greenbrier Grade 4
Crystal clear,
Flowing softly, smoothly,
Going on and on,
Sounds of rushing water,
Going fast, going slow,
But always moving,
Flowing through my fingers, Going away, away…
Ju
lian
Jackso
n
Jackson-V
ia G
rade 4
MoleculesMax ArmengolVenable Grade K
Molecules, groups of atoms, stick together.
Water molecules and penny molecules
are different so they stick in a different way.
- 64 -
My Special PlaceCarlos Herzog
Greenbrier Grade 1
My special place is the zoo because it has
lots of animals. There are plant eaters
like rhinos, hippos, giraffes, zebras, elephants,
gazelles, wildebeests, and ostriches. But, that
is not all that you find at the zoo. There are lots of predators like cheetahs, leopards, crocodiles,
hyenas, lions, tigers, and snakes.
I Am a TigerJohn Davison
Greenbrier Grade 4
Bright as an orange star,
On the hunt for vulnerable animals,
I live in the cold flatlands of Siberia.It snows a lot.
I prowl in the dark, black night.
I am a tiger.
Wild RoomJosephine Tubbs
Clark Grade 3
If I could design a room, I would make a
secret, wild room. When you walk in, you
would see a lot of animals playing in a huge
jungle/family room. You would see a big, old
Redwood tree with lots of animals taking care of
it. If you walked close enough, you would also
see stairs and a door high in the tree, although
it would be really hard to see. When you go in
the tree, you would see a huge bed with lots of
fluffy cats and dogs. If you go down the stairs, you would also see stables with horses in them.
Lastly, there would be a room that has a paint
holder and lots of paints to use. My secret, wild
room would be really fun!
I Am a CheetahMenard Ulibas
Greenbrier Grade 4
I am a cheetah.
I am spotted black like a Dalmatian.
I am yellow like the burning hot sun.
I am the fastest land animal.
I protect my cubs with all I’ve got.
I catch my prey.
I eat gazelles, so they stay away.
I look to see if any enemies are near.
I might be fast, but I still get tired.
I have a powerful heart so I can stay strong.
I have specialized muscles so I can run like a
flash.I am a cheetah.
When I Grow UpEliza Miller
Greenbrier Grade 1
When I grow up, I want to be a veterinarian.
I will help animals. When I do, they
will like me. Aksel will be my assistant. He will
bring the animals in. I will start after I go to
college.
When I Grow UpKayla McCowin
Greenbrier Grade 1
When I grow up, I want to be a veterinarian
because I like pets. I will learn what
animals need. I will work at the animal hospital,
but first I have to graduate from college.
- 65 -
Chick and ChickenCaris Garcia
Jackson-Via Grade K
Chick
soft, sweet
tweeting, eating, peeking
fuzz, claws, wings, feathers
walking, roosting, crowing
sharp beak
Chicken
DOLPHINFrances Reynolds
Greenbrier Grade 3
Dancing round through the rushing waves!
Over them with a big jump!
Lounging in the warm water,
Pivoting in the strong ocean water,
High and low. Here I go!
In the rushing water, over the hills even farther.
Now I need a nap.
SEALSPresley Thompson
Johnson Grade 1
Sliding
Eating seaweed
Attacking fish Laying in the corals
Slippery
The FishMelisa Usmonova
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
There was a fish that finds a flashlight. The fish played with the flashlight all day.
Alondra Trujillo
Walker Grade 6
Ocracoke IslandSofia Wallace
Greenbrier Grade 3
My favorite place is Ocracoke Island. On
Ocracoke Island, I see blue-green water
and red crabs. I taste salty water when I fall into
the crashing waves. I feel hot and cold at the
same time. Hot on the sand, cold in the water,
but then I get used to it. I also see surfers surfing in the distance. I feel excited to jump into the crashing waves when they come toward me.
When I swim in the waves, I feel water passing
by me. I feel happy in every way. I can’t wait to
go back to Ocracoke Island.
- 66 -
Poppleton the PigBen Carter
Greenbrier Grade 1
One morning, Poppleton asked his friend if
she wanted to go on a walk with him.
After that, he went to her house, and they
played.
The next day, Poppleton went to the city
church for a while. He liked going to church.
His friends were there. Later, he went home and
watered his plants.
The next day, Poppleton went to the city
library. He went there every week. It was his
favorite thing to do. He read many books at the
library.
After the library, Poppleton went to a
pizza restaurant. It was really good. After eating,
he went home, and then he got in bed.
PigsRaelyn Trent
Greenbrier Grade 2
An animal I can write about is a pig. I like
pigs because I like bacon. Pigs are very
different than dolphins because pigs live in mud,
and dolphins live in the ocean. Pigs are pink.
They mostly live on farms. I really like to write
about pigs.
Too Many WishesTayah Shanks
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
If I could wish for anything I would wish for
bunnies, bunnies, and bunnies. I would have
too many. I would sell all except for two. One bunny would be cute and one not cute.
Joshua Cassell
CHS Grade 9
- 67 -
Lizard ViewsNeva Boyd
Clark Grade 1
Someone left the lizard house open. I went to
the gym and I saw a lizard in the
basketball hoop!
Someone left the lizard house open. I went to
the art room and I saw a lizard who
thought he was part of the drawing!
Someone left the lizard house open. I went to
the library and saw a lizard who thought
he was on the cover of the book!
Someone left the lizard house open. I went to
the clinic and I saw a lizard trying to go
into the light!
Someone left the lizard house open. I went to
the cafeteria and I saw a soup hot tub
with the lizard inside!
Someone left the lizard house open. I went to
the music room and I saw a lizard
playing the cymbals!
But the best part of all was the lizard bathing in
the hot tub!
A Neat AnimalGivanny Fitzgerald
Clark Grade 1
This is a “Tylosauras.” It eats fish. It was a hundred feet. It also ate dinosaurs that fell
in the water.
Dinosaur Do OverAlex Abrams-GarrettBurnley-Moran Grade 1
If we had the ability to bring back dinosaurs,
should we? No! If we did, they would eat us
humans. At least some might be plant eaters.
But we don’t know for sure. But that’s the pro.
This is the con. They would eat us. I’m never
going to be on the group of people wanting the
dinosaurs to come back because they would eat
us!
Shani (a poem)Max Frazee
Venable Grade 4
(Inspired by: Shani mounted on a vulture)
Saying yes, Saying no.
You’d better lie low,
you never know what I’ll do
Punishing and rewarding,
I know what you’re doing,
So don’t hide from me.
UntitledEliza Smith
Walker Grade 6
I don’t mean to cry, but the tears keep coming.
Never sure if what they say is true
Shame fills my heartEmptiness kills my soul
Cut me like a knife
Underestimating the power of their voices
Ruby hate is in their hearts
Entropy is my life.
After the StormMarietta Feigert
Walker Grade 6
The water has destroyed everything
dead or alive
from great big faucets pouring their hearts out
one harmless drop started the flowthen another
finally gushing out think it started with one small teardrop.
Iman Harrison-Hughes
Buford Grade 8
- 68 -
SnakesViolet Craghead-Way
Venable Grade 4
(Inspired by: Rainbow Serpents, Australian, Gun-
nartpa, c. 1921-2001)
Those two troublesome snakes you see
they are looking for prey just like me
As their slithering tongues
just started all of the fun
oh they are waiting to eat me
As I weep in despair
they climb up my chair
Thinking they’re going to gobble up me
they ask me out to tea
I guess that’s why those troublesome snakes
went up to my hair
Then I thought since they asked me out to tea
they weren’t going to gobble up me
Now I guess I was wrong
‘cause I don’t belong
and there’s no more world to see
ReptilesGus Tingley
Burnley-Moran Grade 3
The important thing about reptiles is that
they are more awesome than video games.
They come in many, many types. They are
usually pretty small. They can be very, very big.
But the important thing about reptiles is that
they are more awesome than video games.
Yellowstone BirdOlivia Pemberton
Walker Grade 6
Climbing up, up towards the sky
Wispy, white clouds in a dome of
bright blue
I look down at the tiny people like ants
Below me the snake of the river winds
across the green landscape
Diving down, lightning fast, the wind
whipping past me
Towards the glinting of sun on water
Like jewels spilling from a pirate’s chest
Past the rushing waterfall that stumbles over
logs
And leaps off the lip of rock to the pool
below
Flying over the surface, my wings skimming
the water
Seeing my fluorescent colors reflected back at me
SnakesAva Bright
Venable Grade 3
Creepy brown
Interesting, smiling, overlapping
Snakes are scary
Laying, intertwining, twisting
Creative, powerful
Snakes
The Cardinal FlewJayla Turner
Venable Grade 1
One day a cardinal flew high in the sky. Then she flew to the nest. Then she went back
out. She found a blue jay and said, “Would you
like to join my journey?” “Yes!”
- 69 -
Richard Harden
Walker Grade 6
The BirdGraham Stevenson
Jackson-Via Grade 3
Cruising
on a cushion
of oxygen tempting to obtain a fish in the grinning ocean. Then abruptly, at the blink of an eye, the falcon
plunged down into the water with a roaring SPLASH!
It seizes the distracted fish and concentrates on making it back to the nest and offers the food to the yapping birds. The warm-blooded
skin of the bird, throbbing in the heat of the sun, bakes
He spots a predator and defends the nest by
pecking furiously at the cruel lion
(king of the jungle)! He won the
battle and safely returned to
the nest. After the
long day, the babies
fell asleep under the
dancing colors of the sky.
- 70 -
Elke Doby
Buford Grade 7
Piper Carter
Greenbrier Grade 4
The Time I Got My KittenWillow McEligot
Greenbrier Grade 3
I was really excited when the day came for me to get my kitten. There were lots
of different kittens: a sleeping black
kitten, a wiggly kitten—I called him
Jello—twin kittens, and an older kitten
that was almost full grown. I saw a
kitten that had black, white, gray,
orange, yellow, brown, and almost
every color a cat can be. I knew she
was the cat for me. When I got home
with a box, the other cats were not sure what was in the box. Later, I let them see what was in the box. They were a bit jealous. The cats adjusted to a new
kitten, and everything turned out great.
PuppiesPaige Sandidge
Greenbrier Grade 4
I am a puppy. I have a lot of
energy when people pet me.
I eat whatever is on the ground.
I love kids so much because
they’re just like me. I am scared
of taking baths. I love to get
dirty. I am happy when all the
kids are home from school, and
they play with me. I am sad
when they are gone and leave me
in the cage. But I still love them.
Dog and CatGabrieal Lane
Jackson-Via Grade K
Dog
soft, scratchy
laying, jumping, eating
puppy Roxanne, kitten Penguin
scratching, playing, chasing
black, white
Cat
- 71 -
A FoalLinden Yates
Venable Grade K
A baby horse is a foal. When it gets ready to
get up on to its feet, its feet wobble. Then
it starts to walk.
The Wild HerdAlice Hoskins
Burnley-Moran Grade 2
“Neigh!” I woke up. What was that noise? It
could not have been Crunch, my horse. I put
my clothes on and went downstairs. I looked
around. I heard the dishwasher running from
when Dad washed the dishes. “Creak,” I opened
the door… Crunch, crunch, I walked along the
rocky path that led to the barn. Crunch, crunch...
I did not see anything. I looked around the
landscape… The sun was rising. I saw a little,
black speck. I thought, could that be a horse
making that noise? Later that morning: “Can
I ride Crunch out to the valley?” said Brook.
“What for, little Brook?” “Oh nothing, just
sightseeing.” “Ok little Brook, but promise you
ain’t gonna get yourself in trouble.” “K, Pops,”
said Brook. Crunch, crunch, she walked on
the rocky path… “Neigh!” I heard it again for
the second time today. It must be a mustang, I
said to myself. I ran to the barn, got my saddle,
and ran to Crunch’s stable. “Wait, I forgot two
things.” I grabbed the reins and the saddle
blanket. I threw myself onto Crunch’s saddle.
“Ya, ya! Go Crunch!” Thump, thump, I kicked
Crunch’s stomach. Crunch ran rapidly down the
road…thump, thump.
PANDAJasaunya HarrisGreenbrier Grade 3
Pandas eat bamboo,
And they live in China.
Nice and tasty bamboo for them.
Do you know pandas are in the family of dogs?
And pandas are black and white.
Dear DiaryKay-C Pornillos
Burnley-Moran Grade 3
Dear Diary,
We just got back from the market! First,
we went to trade with this guy whose name
was Romeo. You say it like this: Rome-ee-o.
Anyway, we traded him some wheat for a pot
that looked awesome. It had one of their gods
on the front. We put our goods in it! The next
person we traded with was a woman named
Aris or something. We traded her some pottery
we had made, not the pot Romeo gave us. She
was going to use it for some of her children’s
clothes. Then Romeo gave us this thing called a
receipt. He gave Aris another receipt.
The last person we traded with was
a man who was giving away tickets for the
Colosseum. He said he would trade the tickets
for some food. We traded and got to go to the
Colosseum! There was this fighter named Ret. He and another gladiator named Rie fought and
fought! Ret ended up winning when Rie gave up
and ran away faster than a cheetah, or it looked
like it! Then we went back to the bush where we
were staying and had a good night’s rest.
Your writer,
Kay-C
- 72 -
Abandoned StreetJulia Smith
Walker Grade 6
We were waiting, in the lonely street,
but, we didn’t know what for.
Maybe we were waiting for someone,
or something.
But we waited,
and we realized that,
we were all novels,
our pages stained with the fingerprints,of either our lovers, or loneliness.
What Once Was HereAnders ClarkWalker Grade 6
What once was here is not anymore.
It ain’t never comin’ back.
Gone forever, lost to us all,
Ain’t never ever comin’ back.
What once was here is not anymore.
There one second, gone the next.
And I’ve searched ‘round the globe,
It ain’t never comin’ back.
What once was here is not anymore.
A life
A job
And more,
Lost to the world.
What once was here is not anymore.
Nobody seems to care
About things that are lost.
After they are completely gone.
The memory up and disappears.
What once was here is not anymore.
And when we have things
We never really notice them until they’re gone.
The novelty wears off.
The human mind couldn’t care less
about things long gone.
What once was here is not anymore.
What does anything mean to us?
Nothing matters.
Nothing is significant,Until it’s gone.
I should know.
Nobody cared about me, either.
Isabella Ciambotti
CHS Grade 12
The Ghostly StreetLexi Wilkins
Johnson Grade 4
Why the ghostly street
has been abandoned for years?
While we have roamed it,
Centuries have passed.
We are still here now today,
Hidden and afraid.
We wish for freedom.
We need our carriage riders,
Rising to heaven.
- 73 -
Tayah Shanks
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
HurricaneSoren Arbelaez
Greenbrier Grade 4
Wind, slash, rain, rain, rain, rain
Hissing, blowing, throwing
Streaking, striking, straining
Ripping, tipping, tapping, tearing
Scaring all of us
Brain StormMarquis Massie
Jackson-Via Grade 3
Rage of the cloud
on the world of Earth
a sound wave of electricity striking the ground
uncontrollable fast and 54,000 degrees of heat
and sometimes purple lightning is a powerful burst of electricity
negative charge at the bottom thousands of people are struck by lightning
every year light strikes usually last around 1 or 2 microseconds
the fast
yellow bolt
that is as
hot as lava
hits the ground
sometimes people
some fields some houses
but all bolts are the same
all are shocking
thunder is caused
by lightning from top
to bottom then
the air scatters
and then regroups
it would make a
shocking sound
that we call thunder
- 74 -
Claire DeGuzman
Burnley-Moran Grade 4
The Sun, the Trees, and the WindHelen GehleCHS Grade 9
The sun, the trees, and the wind, she decided.
They were the three parts of the world she would keep.
She was okay with bargaining away the others,
even though the flowers and the rain were hard to part with.She painted it in her mind, the clear trees, tall and protective.
A graceful wind whispering amongst them.
Then the sun suspended above, glowing nurturingly upon the land below.
She felt herself floating down into the forest,her hair and dress flowing and rippling around her, until she softly landed on the moss.
Tendrils of breeze curled around her hands,
lifting them to the sky,
and spinning her, spinning her back to reality.
Back to the stuffy car tightly parked amongst many others
Back to the smell of gasoline and salt.
Next to her lay her sister,
all curled up and with pleasant dreams floating in the air around her, catching in her wild, curly hair and
lashes and surrounding her, acting as
a shield to hold the world at bay for a
little longer. She sighed and made her
decision once more.
The sun, the trees, and the wind.
Name Acrostic PoemSaniyah Ashby
Clark Grade 4
Smiley
Amazing
Nice
Incredible
Young
Active
Happy
- 75 -
Leo Vasquez
Venable Grade 1
Gaia Sorensen
CHS Grade 10
Over the HillsJin Oishi
Burnley-Moran Grade 4
Over the hills
under a tree
a man sits down
the man
the keeper of keys
the honest man
the trustworthy man
lays
full of joy
sees the sky
the clouds
the cumulus clouds
he sees a boy
a young youthful boy
and waits
over the hills
under a tree
- 76 -
Salma Gutierrez-Majia
Buford Grade 8
My Albanian NecklaceDeonit Roshaj
Greenbrier Grade 3
My favorite object is my Albanian necklace.
The necklace is gold. It looks like the
Albanian flag. My dad brought it home when I was seven. Albania is really different from
America because there are different foods like
pita and flee. Pita is kind of like a sandwich with crust on the back. Flee is kind of the same
thing, but it’s in strips. Albania is awesome
because their sunflower seeds are better than America’s.
If I Were an IndianTymirra Gaston
Clark Grade 2
If I were a Powhatan Indian, I would make
clothes. I would show people I am confident and make food. I would live in a longhouse. I
would paint pictures of different deer, bears,
and rabbits. I would go hunting and break down
wood and trees. I would dance with my family
members and sing for the spirits of God. I would
go in the woods to fight a bear and bring them to my longhouse and share with my family. I want
to be a Powhatan Indian so I can be strong and
powerful.
Raja Receiving VisitorsYuhan Huang
Venable Grade 4
Raja was sitting on the front porch. Two or
three men came and gave an animal to
their king for the gift. The king got happy and
gave them some gold. He had a big castle. In
the castle there was a monkey named Hanuman
and he was praying to god. After four days, the
demon came and attacked the kingdom. The
king didn’t know what to do. Just then Hanuman
came and saved the kingdom and the people
in there. The king got happy again and gave
him a magic power and made him king of the
monkeys.
Special PlaceTyrell Ntenda
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
I love Africa because it has a lot of places.
South Africa is far away. I was born there.
I love Africa because my grandma lives there. I
love Africa because my uncle lives there.
Too Many WishesCalvin Shullaw
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
If I had too many tree houses, I would be
happy. But everybody was mad at me so
I was actually a little sad. So I got a crane and
destroyed some of them.
- 77 -
Alan Mendoza
CHS Grade 12
Tale of the Cannibal DrumAlden Dent
Johnson Grade 4
I held potential
many things I could become
new life surged through me
I lived in jungle
using resources I found
animals helped me
As I grew older
my destiny became clear
I would be a drum
Now I am ancient
deftly built by an old man
on distant beach sands
Many have touched me
with their calloused work-worn hands
human blood held me
Sounds of fear thundered
my beating was certain death
Souls perished and fled
Death trailed for miles
all who saw me long gone
blood-shed shores remain
Nothing escapes me
As I peer into men’s hearts
All knowing and wise
My story shall turn
from slaughter to mass sadness
in infinity
- 78 -
Death at El GolosoSarah Gunter
CHS Grade 9
immortality lies on the foot bed of a car.
it’s held in a rollei camera,
but not for the holder of the camera,
for Taro is the holder.
and in a split-second crash
her own mortality slipped away.
her square-framed pictures
are godlike immortal beings
frozen in black and white,
that outlive their taker,
for Taro is their taker
and her photos,
alone,
shout testimony of her legacy.
life is cruel to those who expose it
and Taro did unflinchingly,evading fate behind a viewfinder.war is not glory
it is chaos.
and Taro died at age twenty-six
in a cesspool of chaos.
death finally found Taroas she clung to life at El Goloso
“did they take care of my camera”and then nothing.
death did not make her a hero
choice of profession did.
because going in she knew
the frontline spares no mercy
for a war photographer.
Don’t Fall InNicole Milanovic
CHS Grade 9
It’s a feeling
it’s an emotion
it’s an act
it’s something that
you attempt to describe.
The feeling is unique and
quite simple actually,
it occurs very often, and
the feeling can be very dark
as your stomach suddenly starts to twist
into a tight knot that cannot be undone.
The feeling gets worse,
tighter, as the power and endurance
start to leave your body.
You feel weak,
you start to wonder,
you start to whimper,
while the answer starts to slither closer,
only feeling a drop disappointment
coming out of one eye,
landing on your cheek as it quickly disappears.
Another drop disturbs the silence,
more keep anticipating,
until you realize you’re all out.
The stress and disappointment all pause,
and you want to keep shedding the tears but,
they quickly fade away.
It’s called love
the heartbreak, and distrust.
The source to that is always love.
Unforgivable,
unmentionable,
all it does is break you
until you’re all gone.
Don’t fall for it, just
don’t fall in.
- 79 -
The Jar and the EggSydney LewinBuford Grade 8
(Inspired by Rainbow Serpents, Unknown)
the snakes did not know from where they came,
for back then, there was merely a silent
whiteness
which stretched in every direction.
the snakes wove through it happily for a while,
twisting and swirling through the endless
blankness.
yet soon the snakes grew sad.
they could not determine why they had mouths,
if there was nothing to taste
and why they had ears,
if there was nothing to hear
and why they had tongues,
if there was nothing to smell.
and so the snakes decided to create
something to taste
and hear
and smell.
somehow they knew what to do.
they found a space where the whiteness was
thickest
and they breathed it in
until their bellies were round
and they could only move very, very slowly.
then they lay and slept for many days.
when they woke
the snakes stretched their mouths wide
and from one came a huge egg,
white with splotches of brown and black.
from the other came a smooth white jar,
filled brimming with water.
slowly the snakes tipped the jar
and from the rim a single droplet fell.
the drop hit the egg
and where it hit,
a web of cracks bloomed forth.
they lengthened and widened.
and
slowly
the egg
cracked
open.
amid the shells rose tall trees and mountains.
a shimmering ocean spread around them.
a glowing sun lifted itself from the wreckage.
from the nooks and crevices animals crawled
forth.
the snakes found that they were surrounded no
longer by whiteness
but by green and blue and brown
and it was beautiful.
Saint JeromeJohn Yates
Johnson Grade 4
Saint Jerome
Born in Rome
Translator of the Bible.
A lion’s savior
Friendship kindled
Unlikely pair and companions.
He wrote
Life was sad and bitter
Empty.
Skull on the table
Red blankets covered him
Annoyed and listless was he.
Changing the language of the Bible
For all to read
Songs of him were made
Love found.
- 80 -
Clay Bright
Buford Grade 8
Outer SpaceOscar Martinez
Greenbrier Grade 4
Space has been discovered, but not all of it.
The outer planets, such as Jupiter and
Saturn,
Have never been discovered by mankind,
Only seen with the telescope.
But, what if we could discover those
With spaceships or drones,
A world with futuristic means.
I will have to wait,
But I can live them in my dreams.
The Language of StarsEleanor Hilgart
Walker Grade 6
Le stelle…
those
divine bodies
emitting
an incandescent glow.
Twinkling in the night sky,
humming
an enchanting,
ensnaring tune.
Les étoiles
Shining with an
unearthly, beautiful light.
Bathed in their radiance,
I indulge in
the glorious sensation.
Las estrellas
More beautiful
than the sun,
they are diamonds
on the dark blue
collar of night.
Brightening
the twilight,
gleaming, shimmering, blinking
a Morse Code message.
The stars…
Amelia Earhart PostcardDiamond Keyes
Clark Grade 2
Dear Family,
I flew from Newfoundland to Londonderry. It was a daring challenge. I arrived thirteen and a
half hours later. I was the first woman pilot to do this. I was not going to be a passenger anymore.
I felt challenged, but I knew I could do it.
Sincerely,
Amelia
- 81 -
Morganna Villaman
Buford Grade 8
PlutoTatum Daves
Greenbrier Grade 4
Dark and cold,
No light,
There is nothing bright.
The sun is only a star from here.
It is little and small,
Not big and tall.
It is Pluto.
SunCharlotte Dubendorfer
Jackson-Via Grade 3
Big, fieryball made of little fiery
balls bursting with excitement, but ifthey stop, everything stops. Sun is a living
thing with nothing to stop it. It has 8 children;Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, Neptune + Pluto (a dwarf planet). The
sun has other brothers and sisters. Its home is
the Universe. It has six bodies. Sun brings life toone of its children (earth). The sun spits flares. The sun has a few nephews. The moon hides
the sun once in a while (which we call an
eclipse). The sun is 4.5 billion years old.
When it stops, we’ll stop. We’ll hopefully
find another home before that.Cold, dark, sad
dying sun
Sky Pioneer News ArticleEva Floyd
Clark Grade 2
Amelia Earhart was a famous pilot. On
May 20, 1932 she flew by herself over the Atlantic Ocean. She flew from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland. It took thirteen hours to make
the flight. She landed in Londonderry, Ireland. Her mission was complete. The reason she
made the flight was that she wanted to be a pioneer and fly the Atlantic by herself.
Day and NightTyus Shelton
Greenbrier Grade 1
I learned about day and night. It takes 24
hours for the earth to orbit the sun. The
moon orbits the earth while spinning. One
hundred earths can fit over the sun. I learned about diurnal and nocturnal animals. A bat
sleeps during the day because it is nocturnal.
People are diurnal usually. We do not sleep
during the day. We sleep at night.
- 82 -
We Are…Rebecca Lerdau
Walker Grade 6
We sit on a shelf,
We are to be seen,
not heard,
We are told to stay silent,
when we try and speak up,
We are delicate,
to be treated with care,
We are only an object,
in their collection,
We are women.
Peaceful SufferingCaroline Thompson
Walker Grade 6
Remains of a torn cotton dress dancing in the soft breeze,
my life is fading away,
at last, all is peaceful, quiet.
Tattered cloth and flesh rising and falling,red with fresh, warm blood,
my life almost at its end.
Each...
Breath...
Steadily...
Slowing.
I Want to BeAlice ThompsonGreenbrier Grade 1
I want to be a pediatrician to help
kids get better when they are
sick. I want to work in a doctor’s
office. I want my mom and dad to see me do my work. I will treat my
patients well and not hurt them. I
will work hard on my job!
If I Were 100 Years OldAnn ThompsonJohnson Grade 2
If I were 100 years old, I would live in a
grand house. For fun, I would play chess
with my grandkids. I would have a pet dog
named Blade. I would have tea parties and
would enjoy seeing my friends and family.
When I Grow UpHelena Plaza-Ponte
Greenbrier Grade 1
When I grow up, I want to be a spy. After
college, I will become a spy. I will work
at a spy agency. I want to wear black clothes. I
will go to a training school for spies.
When I Am 100…Memphis Walker
Clark Grade K
When I am 100, I will be in a band. I will
live in New York.
If I Was 100 Years Old…Parker Yaniglos
Clark Grade K
If I was one hundred, I would have a cane
and glasses. I would have fake teeth. I would
watch the news on TV.
- 83 -
I Am…Punam Tamang
Walker Grade 6
I am a happy girl!
I wonder if this world will be better someday
I hear music from America and also Nepal
I see my family and best friends
I say people need to help each other
I dream about drawing and painting red and pink
flowers I am a happy girl!
Had Tea, Had TeaNoelle WilliamsVenable Grade 2
Then the Owl and the Pussy-cat lived happily
on the island of Chapily.
There, they met a walking Bill tree
who would kill for a cherry.
He also liked to go to sea
and sometimes he had tea,
had tea,
had tea,
and sometimes he had tea.
Weed Seeds, Weed SeedsKaz ShinozakiVenable Grade 2
The next morning there was a big warning,
from the worm.
He yelled, “A storm! A storm!”So, the Owl and the Pussy-cat
Sheltered under the Bong-tree
There under the Bong-tree
The Owl felt three seeds on the head. “Bong-
seeds!” the Owl said.The Pussy-Cat said
“I think they’re weed seeds.”“Weed seeds”“Weed seeds”“I think they’re weed seeds.” A Duck, A Duck
Lauren InazuVenable Grade 2
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went back to sea.
In their beautiful pea-green boat.
They still had their honey and plenty of money,
wrapped up in a five-pound note. They went back to land,
where they met in a band,
and found that they be in luck,
for they’d have a beautiful newborn Duck!
A duck,
A duck,
A beautiful newborn Duck.
From You, From YouAnnie Fruscello
Venable Grade 2
Owl said to the pussy, “I am sorry for as long
as we have
Carried our rings and been married
I have been thinking about our love.”
“Just lay down and I
will give you a rub.”
“No, I think that one day, I might just fly away,”“Okay I get it, but what shall we do
Maybe I can just fly away from you, From you,
From you
Maybe I can just fly away from you.”
A Krepe MonsterAidan Kelty
Venable Grade K
A krepe monster is undr my crtin but he liss
undr mi bed. It is a fone monster! Becas
he loves to eat chicin.
A creepy monster is under my curtain, but
he lies under my bed. It is a funny monster!
Because he loves to eat chicken.
- 84 -
The Sculpture of RuthSeli MartinezClark Grade 4
Once upon a time there was a sculpture that
was named Ruth. One night the sculpture
of Ruth came to life. She came out of her
sculpture and said “l am so glad that I am out
of that sculpture, I was dying in there.” Then she took the crown of King Tut. But then King
Tut came to life and saw how pretty Ruth was
and he asked her to marry him and she said yes.
Then they got married and they had two babies,
Tut Jr. and Ruth Jr., and Ruth never went back
into a sculpture again.
RuthScarlett AustinVenable Grade 4
(Inspired by: Ruth by Chauncey Bradley Ives)
It was a normal day and I was making a
wheat crown when the wheat poked me
and I stumbled back onto my dog. He started
running into my house and I could barely
breathe because he was running so, so fast. Then
he suddenly stopped. I was so relieved I could
breathe again. I got off my dog and felt a shiver
down my back and I had the feeling I was being
watched. Then, something pushed me forward
into something big again. I could barely breathe.
Again, it was taking me somewhere…
RUTHNiharika Pathak
Venable Grade 4
(Inspired by: Ruth by Chauncey Bradley Ives)
Reeds of wheat
Upon her head
The plants will always bow
Her kindness will always stay
Marco Polo’s Lost BookMolly OttingerJohnson Grade 3
I walked to a dark cave, following an ancient
Italian map. An old coffin was lying near the back wall. I was searching for Marco Polo’s
original copy of his book. I creeped slowly to
the coffin. On top of it was written, “I never told half of what I saw.” I opened the coffin and peeked inside. There was Marco Polo’s body
with his arms crossed over a very old book. I
carefully uncovered it and brought it home.
The next day, I took it to an international museum. It was Marco’s lost book after all!
I became famous! I celebrated by riding in a
gondola. I often go to the museum to look at my
glorious discovery and to read it.
The Princess Nilab SultanClark Grade 1
There once was a princess. She was wearing
a yellow dress. She lived in a castle. There
was an evil king who took the princess. He put
her in the dungeon. Her parents found out that
she was gone. Her parents cried. There was a
brave prince. The prince got on his horse and he
started looking for her. He found the evil king’s
castle. He got off his horse and started looking
for her. He climbed into the window. The king
came down and he started fighting the prince. The prince won, so he got the princess and took
her home.
TwilightEv Wellmon
Johnson Grade 3
Slowly getting dim,
My shadows fading
away,
Bright stars
emerging.
- 85 -
Jen
na W
arr
en
C
HS
Gra
de 1
1
- 86 -
Claire LeBlond
CHS Grade 11
Real BeautyTalia Smith
Burnley-Moran Grade 4
Real beauty lies within
Everywhere, in everyone
In some it lies deep, in others
It beams through their actions
Real beauty is loving, caring, and kindness
Always, never sometimes
Real beauty is not how you look,
It is who you are, you
Always you, forever you,
Love it, cherish it
You only have one chance,
That is Real Beauty
Mia Tyree Burnley-Moran Grade 3
