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April 25, 2011

Lifelines: Celebrating Poetry Month

By Terry Wooten Bard

I wore my poetry hat to the budget cuts protest in downtown Traverse City this spring. Art and public education funding has been hit again. A mentally healthy government always supports education and art. It should support its elders, the poor and workers, too.

All we know about people who lived 2,000 years ago is through their art; their writing, songs, paintings and architecture. Art is how the future is going to remember us.

April is Poetry Month. Poetry, like all art, expands the space in our minds for our thoughts to move around in. Writing a poem helps us think creatively, and tell our side of a story. In a poem words have power and energy, and similes are like swords. Poetry communicates awareness.

Our nation's children, imagination and knowledge are some of our most important natural resources.

To celebrate Poetry Month here are some young graduates of my free verse poetry boot camps.

Clumsy Swan

By Madison Kadlec

Bellaire Elementary (5th)

Sitting on the edge

of the canal behind my house,

grass still dripping

with succulent dew.

 

Observing the ducks

bobbing up and down in the murky water

like buoys on a calm lake

for a mid-morning snack

of worm-souffle'.

 

Water

bubbling and gurgling

like a river monster.

 

Out of the corner of my eye,

a graceful swan descends,

approaches the water.

 

The swan slips

on a puddle of goopy mud

dark as milk chocolate.

 

Summer-salts into muck.

 

He struggles,

orange feet flailing.

 

He regains his pristine grace,

stands up,

toddles off

into the bubbling,

gurgling

water.

The Cracking!!!

By Ryan Felton

Bellaire Elementary (5th)

 

Cracked my head open

like an egg.

Cried loud as a thunderstorm.

 

Mom heard me.

Rushed in fast as a bullet,

arms out like two large branches.

Tears in her eyes.

Picked me up and squeezed me hard.

Next thing I knew I was in the car

speeding down the road like a cop chasing a robber.

I passed out.

 

White was all I saw

when I awoke.

Mom! Where are you?

Am I dead?

Light filled my eyes.

The blanket over me had been lifted.

Saw mom

towering over me like a watch dog

assuring me I was alive.

 

I will always remember that day.

There is now

a scar in my eyebrow.

You can still see it.

Buffalo

By Mackenna DeVries

Willow Hill Elementary (5th)

 

A buffalo

walked into our neighborhood.

My sister

yelled from the yard,

"Buffalo, hurry quick!"

 

I ran like a rocket.

I saw buffalo

heads all furry,

bodies not so much.

 

They appeared

in a straight line

like soldiers going to war!

 

Leaving presents behind

while prancing along.

 

On the grassy hill they grazed.

Police soon approached the scene.

Funny to watch police chase

now furious animals.

METAL

By Parker King

Willow Hill Elementary (5th)

 

Clashing swords

loud as meteors crashing into steel.

 

Ducking, blocking

Romans invade Egyptian fort.

 

Roman centurion

leading thousands of troops.

 

Mysterious centurion

sets fire to farms,

smashes defense pillars.

 

Complete destruction

behind.

Minor scratches, bruises.

 

Poor servant of Pilot

wanted to be the centurion.

Bella

By Mikayla Marshall

Glenn Loomis Montessori (6th)

 

Little stubby legs

waddled over to me.

Wet nose touched mine.

I picked her up.

 

Bella my sweet basset hound puppy.

We brought her home.

My first real pet.

She's all mine.

 

Together in the backyard,

running back and forth

like a clown entertaining a crowd,

tripping over her basset ears.

She's all mine.

Grandma

By Gwendolyn Mollica

Glenn Loomis Montessori (5th)

 

T'was a warm and sunny day

when Grandma passed away.

 

Jerry went shooting

like a band of hunters.

 

Molly went screaming

like a banshee.

 

I stood still,

my eyes like the sky

before the storm,

dark, yet refusing to spill a drop.

Grandpa

By Nathan Phillips

Glenn Loomis Montessori (5th)

 

Finally, he's here!

I sprinted when I got to the drive.

He said one of his favorite poems to me.

 

Then I said mine to him.

"Roses are red, violets are blue,

you are my Grandpa

and I love you too."

 

The next night he died.

I loved him

more than Dora loves Diego.

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