A gift of Poetry POEMS
Spring 2010
Playful
What I do When I am Overjoyed
when I feel playful my mouth flies
When I am overjoyed I fly:
up fast like it is being tickled
I lift in the air and go cloud nine.
up fast in the light blue sky
I go back down to do a speedy loop in the blue air.
Mohammad, age 6
Ode to my Mom You are funny:
you wake me up laughing by tickling my toes you make fun of my sisters for me when you play with me you are always making jokes You are nice: you comfort me when I’m scared by making fun of me you help me with my homework when I don’t understand it You are loving: you work really hard to provide food and our light green house with the big tree in front.
Raquel, age 11
It makes me feel proud I wave to all the people looking to me. Brianna, age 11
Ode to Minesweeper I like Minesweeper because you get to press all the buttons. When you hit the mine it explodes, and the smiley face turns sad until you hit it, and it
smiles again and the game starts again. When you touch the buttons it feels weird because you are trying to touch the right one. I try to get the one’s and two’s to appear. The one’s and two’s are good and a three is bad. I could play for a whole day.
Ian, age 7
Surprised Surprised is red, blue, gold and tastes like airplane food. Surprised smells like steak and feels like cold in Saburg.
Jeremy, age 18
Ode to Video Games Each day you’re waiting for my games, on a cart. For me to show you my expertise via the controller. If I know what’s going to happen, I don’t get as excited as when I do not know what’s going on. You keep me interested for hours to go.
That’s why I’m happy every day. Demus, age 11
Furious
Ode to Bullet for my Valentine When I am listening to you whether it be at home, with friends, or in the car.
I feel calm in my own place I say goodbye to chaos and screaming I turn around and I’m dreaming or at least getting away. Cause tears don’t fall they do crash around us, and everybody has to come home.
Kimistry, age 14
Scared When I am scared, I feel I’m not prepared. What will happen next when my heart is not at rest?
As I stare at the sky and pray for an answer, I see
When I am furious my head flies
a spark rise and I know the answer.
it slowly moves cause my brother’s talking to me
Otto, age 13
it wafts up into the air dark as a movie theater
Tyson, age 6
Ode to my Blaze Baseball Uniform Each morning you’re waiting in my closet on a hanger
For the smell of my glove For the grass stains For the dirt scratching onto you. For the slide into home plate. For the crowd to cheer for you For everybody to bow down to you For the other team to get scared from the winning hit. For the run of a lifetime. When I put you on you are excited. I can tell you are excited by the way you make me look inside of you. After the game you look like you want more. You are dirty, torn, and stained, but the number 48 shines proud under the stadium lights and it‘s time for a wash so you can go again.
Ryan, age 10
Heavyhearted when I am heavyhearted my thoughts fly they float alone single on a forgotten street with a blue like my sweater under it’s wings
hovering hurting ruminating eternally Rosa, age 11
Ode to Volleyball The whistle blows the ball is served over the net, bump, set, spike, kill. This is volleyball it is a team sport you win and lose as a team. I’m Haley. I play volleyball at St. Pius High School.
My team is like my extended family, we know each other’s problems and we are there for each other. If I set the ball I know that my hitter will be ready for a kill.
Haley, age 14
Velociraptor Art Van Gogh’s Flowers are orange, like a sunset or light bulb
are green, on the top and bottom look like a monster’s head sticking its two long tongues out.
is colorful like a child’s art like a grandmother’s quilt is boyish, a velociraptor is playing basketball and the ball has feet
is tough, like a football team like dinosaurs feeding is competitive, like my sister playing UNO like a basketball team going to the finals
Bertin, age 17
Chris, age 9
Fun with the Fish Houston aquarium. Dusk. Colorful fish in the aquarium that bring excitement. The tiny yellow fish with black dots swim slowly around the big tank. Big black fish with white stripes wrapping around them; they’re moving pretty fast. The little aqua blue sharks swish around with multicolored blue, green, pink, and purple pebbles lining the bottom of the tank. The nice lady was feeding the fish little brown pellets. The fish darted up to catch them. I love going places with my family.
Caroline, age 10
The Hallway Great Wolf Lodge. The Hallway. Animals on the wall that look like they are guarding the place. A hallway full of colors of leaf green, night black, and bark brown that would make one feel they are in the forest. The lampshades in shapes of animals going through the forest: the moose is going for a drink of water, the bear is going to her young, and the wolf is searching for its prey. The stuffed wolves, further down the hallway, are in a separate forest behind the desk.
The forest looks more real, but the wolves just stand there watching.
Harley, age 15
The Red Bike is Red, like Mars, like lava in a hot volcano
The Whimpering Old Man is old, he’s bald on the top with white hair on the sides, and he has wrinkles all over his forehead.
is blue, like river rapids flowing over smooth brown rocks.
is old, like a Grandpa’s gray hair on the floor of a barber shop.
his white hair, is white like a piece of paper, like a sky of fog.
is deflated, like an old car tire, like its own tires.
is whimpering, maybe he’s disappointed or just tired from watching T.V.
is beat up, like a fighter after a long hard fight or a favorite pair of sneakers still nice and bright.
and his wife, I know he’s thinking of her because she’s not sitting with him.
Marcy, age 12
Chloe, age 11
The Beach Florida, Summer ‘09 San Destin. Morning. Peace upon the beach: hundreds upon hundreds of chairs in the cool morning sand, the sound of waves softly hitting the shore, out in the clear blue water boats are riding around on the smooth calm waves, the sun just rising above the horizon, pink and red filling the sky. There are no clouds on this peaceful morning. More boats appear.
The waves become violent. Damien there.
Jake, age 14
The Legend of the Lake Camp Sky. Noon. In the middle of the lake. A dirty lake: kind of brown and green water with leaves all over the top, dead tree branches hidden beneath the surface, surrounded by regular green and brown trees.
When they push the canoe into the water it feels like your going to flip over. Sprinklers get you wet as you canoe out from the dock and if you are surprised by the sprinklers you could move too quickly and tip over your canoe. A girl was getting us wet splashing us with the paddle. We got stuck in some of the branches and the lifeguard had to come get us. We were told if you fall in you will stink for seven years, but when we got out a man with both feet in the water said that was just to keep you from getting wet.
Marcy, age 12
My Bestest Color is Purple Purple feels like the petal of a flower, tastes like a sweet grape. Black smells like gasoline, tastes like burnt sausage, and feels like rubber. Pink feels like a pillow soft with a rough surface, and smells like strawberry icing.
Red tastes like a juicy strawberry, is tough like the shell of a truck, and smells like something burning.
Anna, age 7
Striking an Angel Natalie, I’m sorry for hitting you so hard when you touch my stuff. I just got worried that you were going to ruin it. Sometimes you mess up my bed and my clothes and I have to clean it up, the next day is the same thing. Sometimes when I come home from school
I see you drawing smiley faces on my stuff and you always blame our brother, but I know it’s you. And then I feel like I shouldn’t be angry but I am angry. And then I hit you and I am sorry that I hit you even though you put on a face of an angel.
Mercy
Yellow Rose My flower is made out of play dough, it feels weak in your hands, easy to break, and tastes salty. It is a rose that I made because I was sitting down bored, and I imagined it and started making it. It fits on the palm of my hand, it is yellow on top and green at the bottom. If I don’t like it, I’ll destroy it to make something else.
Stephen, age, 11
Flowers The big elephants drinking water and eating flowers are not happy. But I am coloring Mickey Mouse with my friends.
We are all happy. Brenda, age 10
Blue smells like nothing,
Colors of my Tasty Rainbow
it feels like a cool wind on a hot day.
Pink is like tasting cotton candy at a carnival,
Kaitlyn Tastes the Colors
it smells like sweetness in the air, Red smells like roses,
and it feels smooth like a flamingo’s feathers.
it feels hot like fire. It tastes like cherry.
Brown is like eating gross chocolate next to a zebra’s cage, while standing in wet grainy sand.
Green feels soft like a pillow, smells sour like a lime, and tastes gooey.
Orange tastes like macaroni and cheese, it tastes like mandarin oranges with whip cream on top, but it smells like pumpkin guts.
Yellow tastes like bananas,
White is like eating vanilla ice cream in the cold snow.
feels hard as metal statues, and smells like corn.
Green feels like a four leaf clover with luckiness, tastes tart like a kiwi, and smells sweet like green leaves on a tree.
Kaitlyn, age 10
Kendra, age 10
Small Critters I Like
Sorry, I Wasted the Grape Kool-Aid
Spiders that catch bugs in their webs and suck their blood.
Dragonflies that fly all around. Not bees, they sting people. It hurts! Bugs that light up at night and you can catch them in a jar then let them go. Ants because when you step on an ant hill they go everywhere and you can collect them in a jar and keep them. Frogs that hop high and catch flies with their long tongue. Crickets that hop high and are the color of green grass.
I love grape kool-aid I just wanted to say. The other day I wasted it on the carpet and she passed my way. “Oh, Mother, I didn’t mean to. I hope you are ok.” She looked fierce as a lion, I didn’t know what to say. The first word that mumbled from my mouth was “sorry”. She yelled, “Go to your room,” and I said, “Ok, I didn’t mean to spill the grape kool-aid.”
Bryce, age 8 Ali, age 13
Zoey’s Faces (a poem about art)
He’s laying down because he’s tired. He’s laying down beside the blue trail. In the corner is something I don’t know next to a pink box.
My Favorite Things: To play with toys and build To eat fish sticks and macaroni and cheese The colors pink and purple Dora the Explorer and Boots
That I can go to kindergarten To play with puppies. I love puppies. My puppy’s name is Sarah.
Roselinne, age 5
She is awake, she is eating, her mouth is all dirty. My name is in the sky in yellow and purple.
Zoey, age 6
A Sunny Day after All A creepy fog fiercely moves towards a tree
I swiftly run down a hill
Takirah’s Smelly Colors
as the swallow noisily sings
Pink tastes like cake, smells like sour candy and feels mushy.
Jordan, age 12
and the sun brightens up the sky
Red tastes like strawberries, smells sweet, and feels soft.
Trip
Blue feels hard as a brick house, smells like a soft rose,
smoke tree mumble twist and lick lazily skip
and tastes like M&M’s.
cloudy inspect stars fling magic blasts towards us man
Takirah, age 7
one idea over the fog smoke and wander joyously dance well Dean, age 18
The Slimy Donkey The damp yellow donkey had a bumpy green slime on his stomach.
He was in a blast near a swamp. Most of his fingers have spoiled but the blast has made him see in the dark. He went off to scare people with his sliminess.
Juan and Dominik, ages 8 & 9
Fragments Frightened with purple toothbrush, he tripped white beetle. Because I spotted a shy bubble vegetable, and I advised childish people, I will be thrilled if it was cloudy.
I, like rock, politely coast, and I stroll an empty rattle and a selfish dragon boiling.
Lewis, age 9
All About Me AUTOBIOGRAPHIES AND SHORT STORIES
I wish I was a Superhero If I ever wanted to be a superhero I would be Spiderman. I would be Spiderman so I could sling webs and stick to walls—because it’s cool. My nemeses would be Sandman, Green Goblin and Venom. I want to swing from buildings because it’s fun to be up high swinging where your feet never touch the ground. And if you are Spiderman no one can unmask you.
Also, if I could jump like him I could save people from danger. For example, if my dog
Davey had fire all around him in a big building I would swing in the window and swing out with Davey. Davey wouldn’t know my identity unless he was Underdog.
Patrick, age 7
Ups and Downs Last week I skipped school to see the doctors but I didn’t care because it was already a three day weekend. When the results came back Mom was shocked to see them. Tears came down her eyes a lot, but I still didn’t know what was wrong. By the time I found out, I was just mad to actually hear that I had that disease again that I had when I was only eight just three years ago. I don’t remember what the disease was, but I still remember what it’s like: First, you need a port inside you, which you have to wait for an entire week to get, but while you’re waiting you have a needle in your hand. When you get your port you must have it in you for at least two years, which I really don’t want. There is also a needle inside the port that goes through your skin, and it must stay in there for at least another week. But, I was still happy when the week was over because I left the hospital and it felt great being outside. But, now it’s Wednesday and I have to stay at the hospital with the port and the needle in my skin for at least maybe two days. One good thing is that I don’t have to worry about pain because they have this new spray stuff that protects it from hurting so much. They didn’t have it the last time I was here —they must have just invented it. I could get used to going to the hospital because I came ready with lots of stuff to do.
I came ready with my mom’s computer, lots of stuff to draw, craft books, and movies too. Jessie, age 12
A Dinosaur in School
I fell into a big footprint. My teacher called the class into the school and I quickly got out of the hole.When I saw the footprint it looked like a dinosaur print. When I looked back I saw a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton. It was monumental in size, bigger than the school, and meaner. It smelled like beef jerky and wet old gym socks mixed together. I stared with fright. Suddenly, I said, “Coming Mr. Elam” and slowly began taking one step at a time backwards. The T-Rex did the same thing, except foreword and towards me. The dinosaur looked famished. I could hear his stomach growling it sounded and felt like an earthquake. It followed me into the school breaking the doors as he entered, but he was kind enough to put the door back. Then, he watched me from the door window to my classroom. For some reason, no one else was noticing him. When someone came close to him he stood still like a statue. People thought he was our new mascot. But when school ended my mom had to go to the hospital to meet my grandmother, so I had to stay in the school by myself. I saw the T-Rex getting closer and closer to me. Then, he gave me one of his bones from his spine. He just wanted to play fetch.
Leslie, age 10
Ferret Boy I woke up one morning. I felt like my wall was on me. I squiggled out and it was my covers that were so heavy. I fell out of bed and I fell for a long time. I hit the floor and it really hurt. I turned around and saw a giant leg, but then I smelled something really gross that almost made me faint. I followed it out my door. I heard some really loud growling. I turned and I saw my dogs. I thought that my dogs were little, but I felt really little. So, I ran as fast as I could. I tripped over something. I bit it. I felt a really bad pain behind me. I tried to pull it to my face, it took a while, and I saw my waist and below… In the reflection of my dad’s dresser I saw myself:
I was a ferret, but how did I get teeth that sharp?
Then my sister Jordyn screamed, “Rat!” She tried to stomp me with her already huge foot. She ran to my dad, and my mom came after me with a baseball bat. My dad grabbed the chainsaw. The dogs were sleeping. Then Jordyn took a machine gun, but it was only a toy that shot stackable nerf darts. I went through a crack in the wall and hid in a mouse hole. The mouse in the crack looked at me surprised. Then, Jordyn took the nerf styrofoam sword and tried to whack me through the crack. I went through another mouse hole, and I was out of the house. I saw a huge ball and grabbed onto it. I looked down and it was a green tennis ball, and I was stuck to it. My friend, Max, grabbed the ball and using his tennis racket, threw the ball up, and hit it really far. A car was passing by and the window was open. I went right through the open window and slammed into the closed window on the other side. The ball was still stuck to me. The baby in the car grabbed the ball and pulled it off. Then, she grabbed me and put me in her mouth. She spit me into the dad’s hair. The mom took Christmas tree spray and sprayed it at me, but I moved and it got into the dad’s eyes. The baby was rolling the window up, but I leaped out. I went back to my house. I went back into the house through the same mouse holes. The mouse was still staring at me surprised. I found a pencil on the ground and started writing on the wall. It said, “It’s me Tyler.” I bit Jordyn so she would see the writing. She told my mom and dad. My parents screamed and fainted.
My First Back flip I think I was seven when I did my first successful back flip. I practiced a whole month before I pulled it off.
I fell about 30 times while practicing, and I had several bruises that hurt. Then one day after stretching, I stood straight, bent all the way down and jumped. I landed on my feet. It felt great!
Kaitlyn, age 10
The Start of my Dog Day One night I was very tired but my teeth were killing me. I couldn’t go to sleep: I was so grouchy, and my neck felt hairy. I tried to scratch but my hands only had four fingers, my nails were long, and I wondered, “How did they get that way? Have I been sleeping for years?” I looked down and something was a problem, something was wrong, and I could only see in black and white. Is this a prank? Has someone put a costume on me? Maybe it was my little brother. He has been trying to get me all along. Maybe the next minute he’s going to pop out screaming “You just got punked!” I was waiting by the door for him to come out and everything was silent. Maybe they went to school? No, it’s a Saturday. I opened the door, luckily they were all asleep, I looked in the mirror and I was a dog.
I screamed at the top of my lungs. Then I closed my mouth not wanting to wake
The End
everyone. I said to myself, “Why a dog? Why couldn’t I have changed into a grown up?” Then I could be doing whatever I want.
Tyler, age 8
Keith, age 13
My name is Memphis.
I was born in my Gamma’s house and every time I spend the night there she wakes up and cooks me sausage and grits. I have a nephew name Jaden who I play ball with. My favorite things to do are eat, watch TV, and play video games all day. My favorite video game is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Smash Up and Spiderman 1. My favorite subject is math because it’s easy.
Last summer I went to Camp Periwinkle, Houston Space Center, and Schlitterbahn. At Schlitterbahn there was a
pirate ship that drops water on you and makes your forget everything, but it didn’t make me forget because I am hydro-dynamically designed. It was awesome!
We were born in Houston. Houston has weird weather.
One of our favorite foods is pizza but another is Chinese food like fried rice and egg rolls. One of us doesn’t like fish and the other hates grilled ham and cheese—it’s nasty. We have an older brother and an older sister. Our older sister has a unique fashion style. Our older brother loves football video games so much he only leaves his room when it’s time to eat. We just got back from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Both of us loved The Mummy Ride because of all the cool effects and because it was scary. When we were babies we used to suck on the walls and eat bits of wall like candy, but then my grandmother put pepper on the walls. When people would come over they would ask why the walls were all messed up. Our parents once got in a fight because my dad put mom’s book on the floor while making the bed.
Memphis, age 8
My name is Jackson.
I grew up in the City of Kingwood, which is mostly houses. I like to play video games, watch T.V., and go to the playground at school. My favorite subject is math.
I would like to be an army guy when I grow up, and I want to be a marine. My favorite holiday is Christmas and I just moved into a different neighborhood, which is still in Kingwood but in the neighborhood of Sand Creek. My favorite trip was the Great Wolf Lodge Hotel because I liked to go in the water park on the lazy river, and I went on a huge slide that does a u-turn that goes straight down into a bowl. I really like video games, and I’m pretty good at them too.
Jackson, age 9
Dubem & Nonyem, ages 13
I was born in Texas.
I love college football. I like watching all sports. I have two Pomeranians named Bear and Book. This summer I played basketball on three different teams. My favorite color is dark blue. My favorite team is LSU. I have a younger brother I pick on a lot. If I could be anywhere I would be at home playing my Xbox.
The best piece of advice I have is to “pull your shoes up” which I got from my mom. Keondre, age 4
I was born in Houston, TX.
I have one younger sister. She’s ok. She likes to dance and do all types of activities. I like to go to the movies, go shopping, spend time with family, and especially hang out at my uncle’s dump truck shop. I love seafood—crab legs and shrimp are the best. When I was little I threw up everywhere I went because I was afraid of clowns. I tasted sushi before and I didn’t really like it. I have a Play Station 3 and play all types of games. My dad and I like to play army games. My favorite color on cars is black, red, and blue; but I do not like yellow, orange, or light blue on cars—it just looks kind of weird. One exception is the yellow transformers Camero. I also watch combat zone wrestling.
I will not ever eat mushrooms or sushi.
Daniel, age 14
I was born in Mexico
and could see people swimming out my front window. My favorite food is tamales; even if it’s a little to spicy I’ll keep eating them because I love them. I have an older sister and an older brother and I am the baby. We moved to Houston when I was nine, I didn’t think we were really in Houston because the signs were still in Spanish, and I thought they everything would be in English. When I was three, my mom rescued me from a pool. I once pulled a door down on me, and I have the scar to prove it. I hate seafood. My dad once tricked me into eating frog. My favorite band is Eyes Set to Kill. I like to Facebook, but I have to compete with my mom for computer time, because she likes to Facebook even more than I do. I’m random. I had a hamster and when he passed away my mom was crying really hard, and we had a funeral on the porch because my mom didn’t want to just throw him away.
I love music. My favorite music is rock music.
Jessica, age 15
I first began to like trucks
when I was two years old. My parents say I started with monster tucks, but now its trailer trucks.
My dream is to drive the truck that hauls the other trailer trucks. When I see a real truck I have to go
touch it. Sometimes my Mom even takes my picture next to the truck. I have too many trucks to remember. I also enjoy taking the trucks apart, but I can’t always put them back together.
Diego, age 8
My favorite food is apples because they are crunchy. My favorite movie is Superman because he‘s awesome. I can run fast. I have two brothers and one sister. I am the second oldest . My sister and I play Swords. I usually win. I play with trucks. I like dinosaurs. I like dancing to the Wiggles. I don’t like spicy food. My mom tricked me into eating a pepper once, and I ran all over the house. I like to go outside in my backyard. Once, I fell out of the back of the swing. My brother and I race all the time. I put all types of stuff in my hair. I like to do my homework alone.
I like my teachers. Hi teachers! Manuel, age 6
My name is Emily. I was born in Houston. I love it because you can never predict the weather it can be 60 in the summer and 70 in the winter. I performed in the Radio City Rockets’ Christmas Spectacular twice as Clair in the Nutcracker scene. If you hadn’t guessed, I am a dancer. My favorite type of dance is Ballet, which is very difficult. I dislike spinach, but I like spinach pizza from Cici’s. I once went to the Grand Canyon and all I can say is, Wow! Carlsbad caverns in New Mexico is also amazing. I have two older brothers and they are the sweetest older brothers in the world. They always look out for me. I am the baby. I have a dog named Moochey. She is a pug. Pugs are hilarious. They make sounds you wouldn’t expect like pig sounds. My favorite subject is Art. I had a sunflower pastel painting displayed in the Make A Mark® art show. I have been to New York, that’s where I auditioned for the radio city show. To imagine New York you have to imagine this huge place with thousands of places and thousands of people and multiply it by ten.
I have one piece of advice for everybody, which is try your best in all that you do, try to make it fun, and when things get tough, trust in God and he’ll see you through. Emily, age 14
Story of Steve My name is Steve I was born in Houston, TX which is a big city. I have two brothers and one sister. I am the youngest, which means I get away with everything.
My favorite sport is football and my favorite team is the Texans. I love to play kickball, play
station video games, tag, sometimes wrestling with my brothers, and racing bikes. Last summer I went to San Antonio and went into a cool cave that got colder the deeper you went into it. I like math. I like the Yankees. My brother started listening to Elvis and now I listen to Elvis all the time. I like being home-schooled because it’s less stressful. I am joyful.
Steve, age 11
My name is Alex
and I was born in desert hot old Tucson Arizona. My favorite move is Transformers, both of them. My favorite color is dark red like my toy cars. I love math and everything about math. I once went to Disneyland and got to ride the Indiana Jones ride, it’s cool.
I have two sisters that are fun because they like to play with me. I don’t like
Chinese food. I’m tough.
Alex, age 7
is published by The Periwinkle Foundation, Writers in the Schools (WITS), and the many talented young writers at the Texas Children’s Cancer Center. The Periwinkle Foundation develops and provides programs that positively change the lives of children, young adults, and families who are challenged by cancer and other life threatening illnesses and are cared for at Texas Children’s Hospital. For more information,visit the following websites: www.periwinklefoundation.org www.writersintheschools.org www.texaschildrenshospital.org
Thanks to Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation Kiwanis Foundation of Houston The Search Foundation Clarence Westbury Foundation