A gift of Poetry POEMS
Spring 2008
A Love Poem The day that I first met you I never thought that you would stick beside me and never ever let go. You wrap your arms around me and tell me that you care. Whoever knew that this brave man would ever dare? Months and months go by and still I wonder why this amazing
guy keeps saying he will love me until he dies.
By Jessica, 18
My Inside Thoughts I believe in the clouds I believe in my family
I believe in doing my best I believe in planting flowers I believe God likes everyone I believe in sweet things I believe in love What do you believe?
By Maci, 8
Today is a brand new day Today is a start of something new Today is a good day, if you make it one Today is a blessing from God Today is my life Today is my chance to learn Today is the day after yesterday Today is the day before tomorrow Today is not like everyday
Today is your life Today is your chance to learn Today is reality Today is your chance to prove Today is a day to reach your goal Today is your choice Today is December 19, 2007 Today is a day that will never come again So make a difference.
By Kristan, 16
Who I Am I am a poet because I see the world around me differently and then I write what
I hear inside. Rosie, 8
Truth is speaking up even when I’m scared Truth will take me through the darkness Embrace the truth
Truth is light Truth can hurt sometimes Truth is brighter than the stars Truth will set you free
By Sharonne, 15
Listen Up I like singing out loud
I will sing everywhere to whoever will listen so listen up because my song is all about the Lord, how I will trust Him until I die and how I will treat everyone right.
By Kelon, 6
All About Me AUTOBIOGRAPHIES AND SHORT STORIES
Our Duty About a year ago, I got an idea to start a local mission group in my community. Our church already took mission trips around Texas, but they were only once a year. I thought, why not have them year around? So, I called the City Manager, and he gave me some names of individuals who might need some assistance. Some of them were still recovering from Hurricane Rita two years ago and others just needed extra help. Next, I got together different committees to do fundraising, client referrals, etc. The church congregation donated most of the funds, and we got started. One of the first people we helped was an older woman in her nineties who needed a ramp to get into her trailer. We started getting publicity for our work, which led to more referrals. I really feel like it’s our duty to help people who are less fortunate.
When I see a need, I like to fill it.
My Road to College I’m a senior and I go to Pasadena High School. I was supposed to be a junior this year, but I worked out a plan with my counselor to graduate early. I have to take extra classes, a mix of junior and senior work. I take government, economics, physics, Algebra II, orchestra, English, and French. In my government class there are only seniors. At first I felt really nervous and alone because the kids weren’t my grade level, but I made friends quickly and now I feel better. I used to be quiet in class too, but now I’m more outgoing. The subject requires a lot of memorization, but it’s not too hard. My hardest class is physics because there are so many formulas.
By Ashley, 17
My Favorite Sport My favorite sport is football. I have an older brother named Dwight who plays high school football, but I haven’t gotten to see him play yet. I play football with my friends and brother. I like being a wide receiver the most. You have to run fast, catch the ball, and make touchdowns. The day before yesterday I was running with the ball and my friend was trying to catch me and I made a move to the side and he fell. Then he got back up and I slipped but I kept going and I made a touchdown! I was happy and all my friends started laughing. My brother said that when I get to the seventh grade, he’s going to make me play football. I can’t wait.
I decided to do the fast track in high school because I’m ready to try college. I have several ideas about what I’d like to do: homeopathic medicine or teaching. I’ve always been motivated and self-disciplined. I’m inspired to study medicine for a few reasons. I think it’s really interesting the way the body works. I remember once when my throat was closing up and I couldn’t eat or breathe well and it made me think I’d like to understand the body better. I’m also inspired to teach because I’ve had some great teachers. Right now one of my teachers whom I really appreciate is Mr. White, also known as Coach White. He is a very nice and funny teacher who has lots of patience and you can tell that he does his work out of love.
I think the best teachers are the ones who know their subject and can be fun, but also go beyond their subject and talk about life. I’m looking forward to doing well this year, getting good grades, passing all my TAKS tests, and graduating and becoming a successful person in life.
By Karen, 16 By Michael, 9
One Day at the Houston Zoo
Flying through Snow
Last summer we went to the Houston Zoo. We saw frogs and lions asleep and owls and crocodiles and tigers in the long grass. It started to rain really hard, and we had to run to our car, and it was flooded everywhere. We got so wet and my mom lost her cell phone and my brother got his dollar wet,
but we
still had a good time! By Alyssa, 5
My Best Halloween Last year on Halloween we were with my uncle and cousins. We were going from house to house trick-or-treating.
We got all kinds of stuff— chocolates, cookies, and toys. Then we went to a door and there was someone dressed in a scary mask and we were scared, but we didn’t run away. We got candy from that house too. My uncle gave us even more candy. I didn’t eat too much candy that night. I saved it with my little brother. This Halloween I want to buy some candy and give it to my cousins.
By Osbaldo, 9
Last year I went to Colorado for Spring Break with my church. It was my first time to leave the state of Texas and my first time to see real snow. I was very nervous and scared. The whole trip there we kept asking, “What if we fall?” I had a white jacket and everyone kept teasing me that if I fall no one would find me because I’d blend into the whiteness. We drove by van all the way to Colorado. When we left Texas, I was in shorts. By the time we got to Colorado, it was freezing.
There was snow everywhere and frozen lakes.
It was really beautiful. The first day we just practiced on the baby hill, and I did okay. The second day, though, they took us to the big hill. I was terrified to even get on the lift. They said the lift would just hit me in the back of the legs and I’d sit down, and that’s exactly what happened, but then I was flying through the air, higher and higher, and I felt really scared. Before I knew it, the lift threw me off, and everyone yelled, “Pizza! Pizza!” to remind me to point the tips of my skis together in a triangle shape to slow myself down. Once we were at the top, my heart really started to pound. We started going down the mountain, and suddenly I forgot everything I’d learned and couldn’t stop. I was flying down the hill until I fell into the snow. I was almost in tears. I had no control over my body on that slope! Fortunately, four guys helped me get down the rest of the way. Once I got to the bottom, I felt really good and couldn’t wait to do it again. I kept doing it and doing it the whole week. Now I’m looking forward to doing it in March when my church goes back to the slopes.
By April, 17
One Halloween Night I like the holiday Halloween because I get lots of candy! My mom won’t let me eat it all. I have to save it and eat just two a day. I also get to dress up. My aunt had the black dress with the black hat and my mom made my jewelry. My little sister dressed up as a rock-and-roller. We only had the shirt and the wig so we had to add the eyelashes, the make-up, and the safety pins. Tonight we’re going to a football field where they’re having a carnival. There are a lot of bulldogs in my neighborhood so it’s a little scary on Halloween because they might chase us. When I was six, I wore a long dress and boots and I kept tripping while I was trick-or-treating. I think tonight will be fun!
Today I’m a Goth princess.
By Doremi, 7
Life Swimming I started swimming four years ago in Guam at the beach. The water was murky and the waves were big. My mom persuaded me to try it. I remember the first day I was scared to death because of sharks, but I did it and afterwards I felt proud. We went every Sunday until we moved away. It was hard to move because I had to leave friends, family, and a whole way of life. I still get to go swimming because we have a pool in our backyard. I like swimming at night when the lights are on underneath the water. I like the adrenalin rush I get when I swim. I have to take a deep breath and hold it. Sometimes I think about fish while I’m swimming. I hope I’ll get to go back to Guam and swim at Epow Beach again someday.
By Paul, 11
Missing Home I was born in St. Lucia where there are lovely beaches and diamond waterfalls and a volcano. We are located at 14 degrees North and 61 degrees West. In the summer it’s hot. From June to November we have hurricane season. I remember trees falling and roofs flying and floods, but we survived. I have one sister and one brother and they are still in St. Lucia. I’m here in Texas with my mother because I’m getting treatment. I miss my friends and family and getting together to celebrate on all the holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries. I miss whale and dolphin watching. I miss my grandmother’s baked lasagna, macaroni, fried chicken and salads. I miss being in secondary school with my teacher and friends. My friends and I always go to lunch together, make jokes, go out, and celebrate birthdays. When I’m away from them, I feel a hole inside. I can talk to them online and see their pictures, but I can’t touch them. My hobbies are singing, dancing, going to the beach, shopping, and just having a good time with my friends.
I’m looking forward to going home. By Adena, 13
ic
My Two Passions Ever since I was little, I’ve loved painting. My mom is a painter, and she inspires and teaches me. My favorite kinds are watercolors and oil pastels. I love abstract painting. When I approach a canvas, I usually focus on three colors. My brain goes to work, and my hands follow. When I do art, I am decisive. I am bold and never doubt what I put on the page. I also enjoy sketching faces. It’s one of the hardest things to do, capturing human expressions, showing in someone’s eyes whether they are sad or lonely or kind. It’s difficult to sketch the shadows and show the right ratio of light to dark, dark to light. Painting feels separate from my life; it makes me feel free and empowered. Books are my other main hobby. I fell in love with books when I started ninth grade and my teacher inspired me. She told me to imagine the world I was reading about, and it opened up a whole new way of reading for me. One author that sticks out in my memory is Paul Legen who wrote The Bully. In eighth grade, I was bullied. People made fun of my British accent and called me “Shorty”. I would come home from school and cry. I think that’s why that book made an impression on me. Today I read all kinds of books, although I’ve never been a fan of Harry Potter. I think I’d like to write a book of my own some day, maybe about what it feels like to be Muslim.
In one month I read almost 100 books.
By Shazia, 18
If You Love Something, Work Hard at It I’ve always loved music. I think I was inspired by my uncle. He used to come by and show me new songs.
I started taking piano lessons when I was seven. I like learning new things. You have to practice a lot to get better at music. I usually practice in the afternoon. I also play the violin. It’s more difficult because you have to place the violin just right on your shoulder and press really hard on the strings. My teacher taught me how to play “Allegro” and it’s fast at the beginning, then it is slow, and then it’s fast again. I love music, and I’ve learned that if you love something, you have to work hard at it.
By Denisse, 11
The Power of Dance I’m really passionate about dancing. I’ve been dancing since I was four or five. No one I knew was a professional dancer, but I didn’t need a role model. Whenever I heard music, I just wanted to move. At my elementary school I took an after-school elective in dance. It was just fun for me at the time, but my teacher had danced at the MET and said I should develop my talents and explore more kinds of dance. I had another teacher who had a group called Dance Force, and one day she invited me to dance with them, but it wasn’t the right time for me, so I turned them down. I just kept taking after-school classes until middle school when I was on the drill team. Then I knew I wanted to dance somewhere besides school. So, in high school, I was invited again to dance with Dance Force and this time I accepted. It was a great experience because they experiment with many kinds of dance so I was exposed to a wide range of styles. One day I did a performance called Dance Houston and there I discovered a hip-hop group called Marvelous Motion and it was like nothing I’d ever seen. The dancers had such tight control of their bodies, and they didn’t use vulgar movements to draw in the audience. That made a huge impact on me. I ended up trying out and making the group, which was awesome. The director really took me aside and helped to train me. I came in extra just to soak up everything I could, and it all paid off. It was transformative. I was part of a group where I could dance on the back row, and it didn’t matter at all because the collective movement was so powerful. Through all of this there were times when I couldn’t go to practice because I was too sick. That was difficult. That experience inspired me to want to help kids who are really active but are going through serious illnesses and have to miss practice. I want to create an organization for those kids that focus on their talents instead of how often they make it to practice. I also want to have counselors in place because I know how it feels when friends make fun of you because they don’t understand your problem. I want kids to know that when this happens, it’s not because those people are terrible; they just don’t understand. The counselors would help by giving the kids in the program a way to explain to their friends what they’re going through emotionally. For me, dance is my outlet. I’ve had multiple health problems but I’ve
It’s my lifeline, no matter what I’m going through. I will always been able to dance.
always dance, and I hope I’ll be able to inspire other kids who are equally as passionate as me.
By Hope, 19
Sisters I have two sisters who are younger than me. One is kind of quiet. She is good at school and at home. She likes to do my hair, and I like when she does it. The other sister is kind of funny. She’s the littlest one. She loves to dance and make people laugh.
I love both my sisters.
By Aletria, 15
Garfield I once had a cat named Garfield. He had white, orange, and yellow stripes and he was fat. His personality was relaxed— he liked to lie around and sleep.
Once my dad caught a mouse and gave it to him, and he ate it! Eeewwww!
Garfield lived in the cat house that my dad built for him. He liked it and he hung out there a lot. The other two cats stayed out there with him. He got along with them pretty well except when Fiona got hissy. One day my parents took him to the vet because he was sick. We think he chewed through an electric wire. The vet said he wouldn’t recover so they put him to sleep. That happened on my brother Randal’s sixth birthday. I felt really bad, but I will always remember Garfield.
By Brianna, 9
The World of Gaming I’m into gaming. I started when I was about eight years old. Friends introduced me and I was immediately hooked. Gaming is challenging because you compete against people all over the world, and it is fun because it has a good storyline behind it. My favorite one right now is a tabletop game called Warhammer 40k. This is how it works. First, you buy miniatures from Games Workshop, next you assemble and paint them, and then there’s a bunch of complicated rules to the game. The rule book is really thick, and Games Workshop reprints it every once in awhile so you have to stay on top of things. All of the races, like “Eldar” and “Space Marines”, have codexes, which explain what weapons they have and what powers they possess. I usually go to a shop near my house that has a huge game room where I meet people to play with. Once I get there I set up a terrain, which is like a war zone. Next, I set up my army. Each player starts with a set amount of points. The goal is to destroy the other person’s army. There are different missions, like you might have to protect certain areas of the terrain or kill someone’s commander. Basically, the game is a progression of six turns, and each turn has three phases for each player— movement phase, shooting phase, and then the assault
The game lasts about two hours on average. There’s a magazine called
phase.
The White Dwarf that tells you techniques for painting, new codexes, and everything you want to know about the game.
By Murphy, 12
Brianna’s Christmas Wish My daughter has a bleeding disorder that is undiagnosable. The doctors call her an “enigma.” She’s been dealing with this since she was eighteen months old. It’s been years of blood work and repeat labs, and the doctors are still stumped. She’s in the nurse’s office at school almost every day with nose bleeds. Because of the nurse visits, the other kids always ask my daughter, “What’s wrong with you?” They treat her like she has the cooties. There’s no tolerance on the part of most kids or many adults. This year the kids prepared their Christmas Wish Lists, and Brianna kept telling everyone the same thing, “All I want is a cure, or at least a diagnosis.” The medications that she takes help sometimes; other times they don’t. That’s always baffling in this day of technology. Brianna made it through another Christmas, but she didn’t get the Christmas miracle that she wanted.
We just remind her to put it in God’s hands because He has a plan. We just don’t know what it is.
By Amy
The Haircut I went to my daddy’s house and got a haircut. It’s fun to visit him over the weekends. I get to play with my brothers and sisters. We went to my uncle’s house for the haircut. I sat on a chair, and my uncle said, “Don’t move.” He used clippers and made some designs in my hair. I thought it looked just fine.
By Dillon, 9
Gravedigger! I like going to the Monster Jam. It’s a big show with trucks like the Gravedigger and they jump over cars and motorbikes, fly over ramps and sometimes things get crushed and slammed and messed up. Once I went and they had a dragon blowing fire out its nose. I like going with my friends and watching everything. It makes me want to be in the show. I’d like to be in charge of a Gravedigger and jump ramps and smash cars. That would be cool.
It’s really loud at the shows, and I like that.
By Michael, 7
Touchdown! I’ve been collecting football cards since I was eight or nine. My friend was doing it at the time, and I got interested. I started collecting them, and now I have four binders full of them, plus a box and some bags. I keep them on a shelf next to all the footballs I’ve had signed, including the one by the 2007 Aggie team. My favorite card right now is Roger Staubach, #12, Dallas quarterback.
I play football, which may be one reason I like collecting the cards. I’ve been playing since second grade. I remember my first number, #88, and being on the field the first time. That’s a great feeling. Now I play middle linebacker, and my job is to knock the mess out of whoever gets the ball. I play for the West Hardin Oilers. We went to the SuperBowl when I was around ten and won 6-0. That felt good. I think I like football because it’s fun, but also because I just like to tackle people. It’s a good way to let my anger and energy out.
By Colt, 12
The Love of my Life I think I started to love dance in kindergarten. I took an afterschool dance class where we did ballet and jazz. My interest in dance kept growing and I took some more classes. Then I started dancing at my church. We would do praise dance before the preacher did his sermon. I started when I was eight. Back then I was nervous. Now I’m not. I just pray and stay in a silent mode before I begin. It helps me keep my focus. Now I’m thirteen
When I learn a new dance, I can feel it in my body. After I do it once, I’ve got it. I do it in my head
and I dance for my church and my school’s church.
at night. One of my most memorable dance experiences was at my cousin’s church Lighthouse of Praise. I danced there New Year’s Eve, and I was an angel.
By Ayanna, 13
A Magical Trip For the people who’ve never been to Disney World, I’m going to tell you what it’s like. Just watch before your very eyes! First, you ride a magical plane that drops you off at an amazing airport. Then, you board the Disney Express that takes you to your phenomenal resort. Next, you get signed in and then you’re free to take a bus to wherever you want to go. I went straight to MGM Studios where I watched movies and bought glow-in-the-dark lights. Then, we got a bite to eat and went straight to bed so we’d be ready for the next day. In the morning, we went to Epcot Center where they have all kinds of rides and you can see the future. We got Fast Passes so we could return to ride the Fast Track, one of the fastest and longest roller coasters in the U.S. When I heard the people screaming, I didn’t want to go, but it was too late. Once I did it, I loved it. I got off and said, “Let’s go again!” I got a driver’s license there, which is good until the year 3000! After that, we went to a movie studio, and I got to be co-director.
I told everyone, “Lights, Camera, Action!” These are just a few incredible opportunities at Disney World. Going to Disney World is cool because it makes you feel like a kid again.
By Kolton, 11
Dance Star I’ve been dancing for about six years. I saw people on TV doing it and that inspired me, but mostly I’m just really energetic so dance is perfect because I get to move around a lot. I started at Mosley’s School of Gymnastics and Dance when I was five. My mom says I wasn’t nervous at all—I’ve never been a shy child. At my first recital I danced in front of 200 people. Once I get in my groove, I just get lost in the dance. Sometimes I do have to connect with judges in the audience. We have to make facials, which I don’t really like because I’m already concentrating on the flip-flop or stunt we’re doing. One of my best dance moments was when I did a trio with two friends and won first place at Nationals. One of my worst moments was when I broke my finger during a warm-up, but I had to compete anyway and then do a Christmas recital that night too. To be a good dancer you have to have some natural rhythm, but you can also work hard to make it. You have to be dedicated because you need to work out all the time to stay fit and flexible. I hope I’ll continue to
In the future, I hope I’ll be a dance star. compete and try my hardest.
By August, 11
An Explosion of the Mind I think my grandmother passed down my love of music to me. She sings in the choir at church, and she likes all kinds of
Even as a baby I would hum myself to sleep. When I got older I joined our church choir. I’ve music. My mom says I’ve always loved music too.
always felt shy so I didn’t want to sing solos. I liked to be part of the larger group. It’s just recently when I’ve broke out of my shyness. I don’t know all the reasons, but I think part of it was going to concerts and being inspired by the people on stage, watching how they felt excited about what they were doing and how much they loved it. So, now I’m stepping out and up and doing more solos in my church and school choirs. I still get nervous but I like it now. It’s like I think to myself, “Wow. I’m up here in front of all these people singing.” It’s an adrenalin rush! For me music is my life support system. When I’m sad, it makes me happy. It can pick me up, make me excited and hyper. I like that feeling. Unlike music, I think art was more something that I picked up on my own. When I was little, I loved to color. My dad says that whenever I got a new set of crayons, I’d always break them. I think I thought they worked better that way and they were MINE after I broke them! As I got older, I loved all the art materials. I’d get markers, color pencils, and now I’m into pastels. I like doodling a lot to release feelings or when I don’t want to talk. Singing is like an explosion of my mind and drawing is that too. You don’t have to think about it too much, you just get it out there. When I do pastels, I just mix and blend different colors. I don’t have a plan, but it comes out beautifully.
By Kandace, 14
The Passion for Basketball Getting My Hair Done I go to my aunt’s house to get my hair done. It’s fun, but it takes a long time. I sit on a pillow and she gets a needle and connects the crochet braids to my head. It hurts, but I just scream inside my head. When I look in the mirror, I’m surprised. I look beautiful!
Once all the braids are in, I go home. By Dylliaunna, 7
Who I Am I am an artist. My favorite thing to draw is cartoon characters. First, I sketch them in pencil, then I go over them in pen. I draw Scooby-Doo a lot and then sometimes I draw SpongeBob and Strawberry Shortcake to mix things up. I started drawing in seventh grade and then I began taking classes at school. I do more kinds of art in school, like painting. I like to draw in my room in a sketchbook. It’s very therapeutic.
By Rivieara, 17
I’ve always loved basketball. My dad played for the San Antonio Spurs, but that’s not all. It runs in my family—my aunt Carolyn, my grandpa Charles, and others all played too.
I started playing in middle school. I’d always had a hoop at home, but it was exciting to play on a team and compete against others. We’d practice before school, which was hard because it was so early in the morning. The most exciting game in middle school was the championship game. We were the favorites, and it was at our home court. I played wing—it was an exhausting game, but the adrenalin kept us all going, and we won. My dad was there. It was a perfect evening. Afterwards, the coach gave us all miniature basketballs that we signed. I still have mine. I also played basketball my freshman and sophomore years of high school. It was different because the coaches are harder on you and the competition is tougher. Also, I switched high schools in the middle of freshman year, so I had to adjust and find my spot on the new team. By sophomore year, I had found my friends and fit on the team. Everything was going well until in the middle of my sophomore year when I was diagnosed with ALL. I had to leave school because I had no immune system. Suddenly, I was alone and couldn’t see much of my friends or have close contact with anyone. That was hard. I was always in and out of the hospital with infections. Even though I couldn’t play basketball, I continued to think and dream about it because it’s my passion. I’d call my friends to see how games went. I’d check NBA scores on the computer. Right now I’m in maintenance. This past Monday was my first day back at school, and it was great to see friends. They just played their last game of the season so I won’t get to see them play until next year. Even though I can’t play right now, I’m looking forward to playing again in the future.
By Jana, 16
My Favorite Sport I used to go to the park with my older brother. That is when I started playing basketball. He’d let me play and I’d have to hustle to keep up. In seventh grade I tried out for my school team and made it. I remember once when it was our first game. I was nervous but it turned out well. We won. It was a good way to start the year. The rest of it was up and down. I was one of the smallest on the team, and it was hard with so many bigger guys. I’m still playing basketball. I think it’s my favorite sport because it feels
I like playing forward because I get to make the baskets a lot. I’ve improved a lot, and I want to keep getting better,
great to shoot three-pointers.
especially quicker.
By Johnny, 15
The Skate Logo I’ve been skating for two years. My friends invited me to a skateboarding party and I went down a ramp and fell and busted my butt and knocked my breath out and when I got up, I said, “I want to do this.” So, I’ve been practicing and practicing and I can do an ollie to a double kick flip. Right now I’m on crutches so I can’t do much. But, if my mom would let me, I’d still try. I skate in my neighborhood and sometimes the Kay Skate Park.
I love extreme sports because I like the adrenalin rush, the risk and the challenge.
Pink Princess Sometimes people call me Maddie. I have a little sister My name is Madison, and I am five.
named Maccie. She is two and a wild child, ha-ha! I have a puppy named Zoe who is so cute. She is a Boston Terrier. I love the color pink. My whole room is in pink princess stuff. My sister’s favorite color is green. I love riding in my daddy’s 1968 car. It is so much fun. Also I love to dance. I take private lessons for jazz and ballet. My dance teacher’s name is Karley. She is the best. I am looking forward to going to Disney World this April 2008. I get to meet Cinderella and all the other princesses!
By Madison, 5
To be good at skateboarding you need to be strong; you need discipline to practice the techniques you need for each trick; and most importantly, you need to be fearless. Sometimes I watch YouTube to see the skateboarders. I came up with my own trick by watching others. It is sort of like a combined 360 with a kick flip and heel flip going into a nose manual.
By Carlos, 13
Austin, the Superhero I like to wear a cape and a mask and carry a light saber. My light saber makes noises and I stab the bad guys in the heart.
Then I lock up the bad guys and the neighborhood is safe again. By Austin, 10
How to Be Happy My mom is a big fan of the Houston Texans, but I’m a Steelers fan. I love football because it makes you tough. I’ve been playing for two years. We have to do lots of drills, like hitting and tackling and running laps. Trying not to get hit is a real challenge. My favorite positions to play are running back and linebacker. My dad gives me lots of good advice. Even if the other guy is bigger, he says to just tackle below the knee and the guy will fall. He also says that whenever I’m running with the ball to put my shoulder down and hit a defender in the stomach area. Once I remember playing a team called The Falcons and I scored two touchdowns. Scoring a touchdown makes you feel happy, really happy.
I have a big goal—it’s to play in the NFL someday.
The Day I Faced Horror It was a beautiful day, and I was talking a walk. Suddenly, the sky got dark, and it started to rain. I saw three figures approaching. They were getting closer and closer. I began to run faster and faster. I was out of breath, but they were gaining on me, and they looked like Freddy, Jason, and Leatherface. Just then I saw a clown in a tent and he said, “Quick! Come in here!” He set down three cards on a table, and they read Freddy, Jason, and Leatherface. I asked, “Is this my future?” The clown jumped on the table and said, “No. You don’t have a future.” Then, to my surprise he reached out for me, but I rolled to the side. Unfortunately, Freddy was there, hiding under the table, Leatherface was in the curtains, and Jason was pretending to be a statue. I started to sweat, but then I eyed them all and screamed,
“You don’t scare me!” I did some karate moves on them to show them I wasn’t kidding.
They were all on the floor, including the clown. But they got right back up. I said, “I challenge you to a duel.” I chose a chainsaw, Freddy a knife, Leatherface a gun, and Jason a machete. The battle began. I yelled, “Bring it on!” And I sliced off Freddy’s finger and cut off Jason’s legs and split Leatherface in half. And then I woke up. Luckily, it was all a bad dream.
By Evan, 9 By Roger, 10
My Life in Show Business I have been in a lot of shows. It all started out with dancing, then acting, then singing! My first show was “Dot and Tot of Merryland”. It was directed by Mandy S. Then, I was in “Hansel and Gretel”, “Dear Santa”, “Alice in Wonderland”, and a drama called “I Never Saw Another Butterfly”! I’ve been an elf, string, child, even an animal called a griffin. A griffin has the head of an eagle and the bottom of a lion. When I got into singing, I wrote a song here at Texas Children’s Hospital.
It’s about all the things I love to do.
Thanks to Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation Kiwanis Foundation of Houston LGR Foundation Community Fund No.1 The Search Foundation
I sang it in Singer Showcases and even on a cruise. I go to The Slightly Off Center Players and I’ve made trillions of friends there!
Clarence Westbury Foundation
By Shelby, 10
Valero Energy Foundation/ Valero Houston Refinery
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