The Bee The Bee Bees - Charlottesville City Schools

The Bee
Bees
Selena Roberts
O
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
nce 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.
Avery Stavitski
B
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
ees 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.
The Bee
Maya Figueroa
O
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
ne 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”!
Why Schools Should Have Cell Phones
Tyla Chester
S
Clark Grade 4
chools 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.
Ode to Mendeleev and His Table
Y
Nikolas Dillery
Walker Grade 6
ou 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.
- 61 -
Boat on the Bay
Malcolm Brickhouse
T
Walker Grade 6
he 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
Emma Hendrix
CHS Grade 12
The Brook
Elisabeth Scharf
Quinzyah Blair
Venable Grade 1
Walker Grade 5
T
he 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.
- 62 -
Molecules
Max Armengol
M
Venable Grade K
The School Garden
olecules, groups of atoms, stick together.
Water molecules and penny molecules
are different so they stick in a different way.
Alejandra Flores
A
t 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!
River
Anna Pohl
Greenbrier Grade 4
C
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.
rystal 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…
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!
Julian Jackson Jackson-Via Grade 4
Johnson Grade 2
- 63 -
My Special Place
I Am a Tiger
Carlos Herzog
M
John Davison
Greenbrier Grade 1
B
y 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.
right 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 Room
I Am a Cheetah
Josephine Tubbs
I
Greenbrier Grade 4
Menard Ulibas
Clark Grade 3
I
Greenbrier Grade 4
f 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!
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 Up
When I Grow Up
Eliza Miller
W
Kayla McCowin
Greenbrier Grade 1
W
hen 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.
Greenbrier Grade 1
hen 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.
- 64 -
Chick and Chicken
Caris Garcia
C
hick
Jackson-Via Grade K
soft, sweet
tweeting, eating, peeking
fuzz, claws, wings, feathers
walking, roosting, crowing
sharp beak
hicken
C
DOLPHIN
Frances 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.
Alondra Trujillo
Walker Grade 6
SEALS
Ocracoke Island
Presley Thompson
Johnson Grade 1
Sofia Wallace
Sliding
Eating seaweed
Attacking fish
Laying in the corals
Slippery
M
y 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.
The Fish
Melisa Usmonova
T
Greenbrier Grade 3
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
here was a fish that finds a flashlight. The
fish played with the flashlight all day.
- 65 -
Poppleton the Pig
Pigs
Ben Carter
Raelyn Trent
Greenbrier Grade 1
A
O
Greenbrier Grade 2
n 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.
ne 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.
Too Many Wishes
Tayah Shanks
I
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
f 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
- 66 -
A Neat Animal
Shani (a poem)
Givanny Fitzgerald
T
Max Frazee
Clark Grade 1
his is a “Tylosauras.” It eats fish. It was a
hundred feet. It also ate dinosaurs that fell
in the water.
S
Venable Grade 4
(Inspired by: Shani mounted on a vulture)
aying 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.
Untitled
Eliza 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 heart
Emptiness kills my soul
Cut me like a knife
Underestimating the power of their voices
Ruby hate is in their hearts
Entropy is my life.
Iman Harrison-Hughes
Buford Grade 8
Lizard Views
S
After the Storm
Neva Boyd
Marietta Feigert
Clark Grade 1
omeone 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!
Walker Grade 6
T
he water has destroyed everything
dead or alive
from great big faucets pouring their hearts out
one harmless drop started the flow
then another
finally gushing out
think it started with one small teardrop.
Dinosaur Do Over
I
Alex Abrams-Garrett
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
f 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!
- 67 -
Reptiles
Gus Tingley
Burnley-Moran Grade 3
Snakes
T
he 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.
Violet Craghead-Way
Venable Grade 4
(Inspired by: Rainbow Serpents, Australian, Gunnartpa, c. 1921-2001)
T
hose 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
Yellowstone Bird
Olivia Pemberton
Walker Grade 6
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
C
limbing 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
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
Snakes
Ava Bright
C
Venable Grade 3
reepy brown
Interesting, smiling, overlapping
Snakes are scary
Laying, intertwining, twisting
Creative, powerful
Snakes
The Cardinal Flew
Jayla Turner
O
Venable Grade 1
ne 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!”
- 68 -
The Bird
Graham 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.
Richard Harden
Walker Grade 6
- 69 -
Puppies
Paige 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.
Elke Doby
Buford Grade 7
Dog and Cat
Gabrieal Lane
Jackson-Via Grade K
D
The Time I Got My Kitten
Willow McEligot
I
Greenbrier Grade 3
C
og
at
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.
soft, scratchy
laying, jumping, eating
puppy Roxanne, kitten Penguin
scratching, playing, chasing
black, white
Piper Carter
Greenbrier Grade 4
- 70 -
PANDA
Jasaunya Harris
Greenbrier 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.
The Wild Herd
Alice 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.
Dear Diary
Kay-C Pornillos
Burnley-Moran Grade 3
D
ear 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
A Foal
Linden 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.
- 71 -
What Once Was Here
Anders Clark
Walker Grade 6
W
Abandoned Street
hat 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.
W
Julia Smith
Walker Grade 6
e 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.
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.
The Ghostly Street
W
Lexi Wilkins
Johnson Grade 4
hy 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.
Isabella Ciambotti
CHS Grade 12
- 72 -
Brain Storm
Marquis 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
Hurricane
Soren Arbelaez
W
Greenbrier Grade 4
ind, slash, rain, rain, rain, rain
Hissing, blowing, throwing
Streaking, striking, straining
Ripping, tipping, tapping, tearing
Scaring all of us
Tayah Shanks
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
- 73 -
The Sun, the Trees, and the Wind
Helen Gehle
CHS Grade 9
T
he 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 Poem
Saniyah Ashby
Clark Grade 4
Smiley
Amazing
Nice
Incredible
Young
Active
Happy
Claire DeGuzman
Burnley-Moran Grade 4
- 74 -
Over the Hills
Jin Oishi
O
Burnley-Moran Grade 4
ver 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
Leo Vasquez
Venable Grade 1
Gaia Sorensen
CHS Grade 10
- 75 -
My Albanian Necklace
If I Were an Indian
Deonit Roshaj
Tymirra Gaston
y 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.
f 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.
Greenbrier Grade 3
Clark Grade 2
M
I
Raja Receiving Visitors
Yuhan Huang
R
Venable Grade 4
aja 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 Place
Salma Gutierrez-Majia
Buford Grade 8
Tyrell Ntenda
I
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
Too Many Wishes
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.
Calvin Shullaw
I
Burnley-Moran Grade 1
f 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.
- 76 -
Alan Mendoza
CHS Grade 12
Tale of the Cannibal Drum
Many have touched me
with their calloused work-worn hands
human blood held me
Alden Dent
Johnson Grade 4
I
Sounds of fear thundered
my beating was certain death
Souls perished and fled
held potential
many things I could become
new life surged through me
I lived in jungle
using resources I found
animals helped me
Death trailed for miles
all who saw me long gone
blood-shed shores remain
As I grew older
my destiny became clear
I would be a drum
Nothing escapes me
As I peer into men’s hearts
All knowing and wise
Now I am ancient
deftly built by an old man
on distant beach sands
My story shall turn
from slaughter to mass sadness
in infinity
- 77 -
Don’t Fall In
Death at El Goloso
Nicole Milanovic
CHS Grade 9
Sarah Gunter
I
CHS Grade 9
t’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.
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 Taro
as 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.
- 78 -
The Jar and the Egg
the drop hit the egg
and where it hit,
a web of cracks bloomed forth.
they lengthened and widened.
Sydney Lewin
Buford 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.
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.
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.
the snakes found that they were surrounded no
longer by whiteness
but by green and blue and brown
and it was beautiful.
and so the snakes decided to create
something to taste
and hear
and smell.
Saint Jerome
S
somehow they knew what to do.
aint Jerome
Born in Rome
Translator of the Bible.
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.
A lion’s savior
Friendship kindled
Unlikely pair and companions.
then they lay and slept for many days.
He wrote
Life was sad and bitter
Empty.
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.
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.
slowly the snakes tipped the jar
and from the rim a single droplet fell.
- 79 -
John Yates
Johnson Grade 4
The Language of Stars
Eleanor Hilgart
Walker Grade 6
Outer Space
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…
Oscar Martinez
S
Greenbrier Grade 4
pace 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.
Clay Bright
Buford Grade 8
Amelia Earhart Postcard
Diamond Keyes
Clark Grade 2
D
ear 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
- 80 -
Pluto
Tatum Daves
D
Greenbrier Grade 4
ark 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.
Sky Pioneer News Article
Eva Floyd
A
Clark Grade 2
melia 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 Night
Tyus Shelton
I
Greenbrier Grade 1
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.
Morganna Villaman
Buford Grade 8
Sun
Charlotte Dubendorfer
Jackson-Via Grade 3
Big, fiery
ball made of little fiery
balls bursting with excitement, but if
they 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 to
one 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
- 81 -
Peaceful Suffering
Caroline Thompson
Walker Grade 6
R
emains 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 Be
Alice Thompson
Greenbrier 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!
When I Grow Up
If I Were 100 Years Old
Helena Plaza-Ponte
Ann Thompson
Johnson Grade 2
I
Greenbrier Grade 1
W
hen 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.
f 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.
We Are…
When I Am 100…
Rebecca Lerdau
Memphis Walker
W
W
hen I am 100, I will be in a band. I will
live in New York.
e sit on a shelf,
We are to be seen,
not heard,
If I Was 100 Years Old…
Parker Yaniglos
I
Walker Grade 6
Clark Grade K
Clark Grade K
f I was one hundred, I would have a cane
and glasses. I would have fake teeth. I would
watch the news on TV.
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.
- 82 -
Had Tea, Had Tea
Weed Seeds, Weed Seeds
Noelle Williams
T
Kaz Shinozaki
Venable Grade 2
T
hen 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.
he 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. “Bongseeds!” 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
T
Lauren Inazu
From You, From You
Venable Grade 2
he 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.
O
Annie Fruscello
Venable Grade 2
wl 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.”
I Am…
I
Venable Grade 2
Punam Tamang
Walker Grade 6
A Krepe Monster
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!
Aidan Kelty
A
Venable Grade K
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.
- 83 -
The Sculpture of Ruth
Ruth
Seli Martinez
Scarlett Austin
Clark Grade 4
Venable Grade 4
(Inspired by: Ruth by Chauncey Bradley Ives)
O
nce 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.
I
t 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…
RUTH
Marco Polo’s Lost Book
Niharika Pathak
Venable Grade 4
Johnson Grade 3
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.
Reeds of wheat
Upon her head
The plants will always bow
Her kindness will always stay
The Princess
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.
Nilab Sultan
T
Molly Ottinger
I
(Inspired by: Ruth by Chauncey Bradley Ives)
Clark Grade 1
here 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.
Twilight
Ev Wellmon
S
lowly getting dim,
My shadows fading
away,
Bright stars
emerging.
- 84 -
Johnson Grade 3
- 85 -
Jenna Warren CHS Grade 11
Claire LeBlond
CHS Grade 11
Real Beauty
Talia Smith
R
eal 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
- 86 -
Burnley-Moran Grade 4
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