For our first class back after the winter break and new year, we read Fons, by Pura López-Colomé, briefly discussing the poem's language, images, and use of mythology, especially the myth of Pandora's Box. Students then drew folded pieces of paper out of a box I had brought to class, writing down the single sentence on each piece of paper at the top of their page set aside for the day's writing; this was to be the title, and inspiration for their poem. (Sentences were taken from famous first and last lines from a variety of movies.) Then, with each classroom teacher's help, another piece of paper was drawn from a separate box, providing limitations for the students' work. Those limitations are noted after teacher names, below.

Many excellent and surprising poems were written by students! Some of the best are below.

The Sun Is Breaking Through
Kate B.

The sun is
going through me.

It is so
bright it hurts
my eyes.

I go outside
in my shorts.
I see my friend.

I say hi
he says bye.

This Is My Neighborhood
Vicky C.

The neighborhood is boring
I have no dog
I have no parrot

I have a flower
It is so boring
It dies each year

It does not play
It's not a pet

My neighborhood is boring

I Hurried Home
Leanna H.

I hurried home.

I ran very fast.

I ran back again.

I try and try.

A New Home, A New School
Vincente H.

A whole new place
you don't know anyone.

You feel lonely and
sad it's like nobody
knows you exist in

this world. People go
past you like you

are invisible. You
feel like there is
no one that knows
you want someone
to know you exist.

Everybody Comes Here
Samantha P.

Everybody comes to me,
The light the sun,
Then when I'm done,
I'll share my story,
I was a glory,

The theme is high,
up in the sky,
the show is on,
by dawn,
everybody comes to me
now I'm done

by the moon,
and sun,

the light,
the dark,
I see a mark

You'll Probably See Me Next Week
Devon R.

I said goodbye,
but you said stay.

You got turned in
because of the FBI.

You annoyed me,
you embarrassed me.

Leave me alone,
just let me be.

Looks Like a Nice Morning
Ihsan S.

It's a warm sunny
day, the birds chirp
silently.

The kids are jumping,
playing, and laying
under the green trees.

Squirrels are running around
having the time of
their lives.

The thing I can
do is relax outside.

I Never Knew
Nina Y.

I never knew
I never knew

I never knew
the answer

I never knew
I never knew

I never knew
the answer
oh, I never knew

You Look at That River Gently Flowing by
Natalie Z.

Just looking at water.
The one that
has a reflection

Gently flowing by
with lots of fish

With the winter
wind blowing
it slowly and
freezing it with
snow

The river can
splash a swirl
when it changes
its reflection slowly

Mr. Sandlass, 4th Grade (5 stanzas + 3 or less words per line)

I Wonder Where We'll End up?
Michelle A.

I wonder where
we'll end up?
In the future

will we have
flying cars
or

trampolines for transportation,
or a new
kind of food
to eat!

Will we have
an Ice Age?

So do you
have an idea
where we will
be? Or a
different thought, so....
good-bye. Now
I need a
hot dog!

You Want to Know Something
Allison C.

You want to
know something

it's not a
secret just say

yes, no, maybe
so I don't
care anyway

you want to
know something
really I'll tell
you

I won't joke
around but maybe
I'll play

What Do We Do Now?
Nicole C.

What do we
do now, when
it's winter and
people are dying
every second of
every day. What

do we do
now when
there's a tornado
and you have
no shelter.

These things
happen every
minute of every
day. So we

need to know
what we do
now. And when

things happen and
how.

You Can't Shake It Out of Your Heart
Jacob E.

You can't hate
but you can
love.

It could not
love. It can
only hate.

We can love
but we can't
hate.

Love is unstoppable
but hate is
stoppable.

Love
is
grateful.

You Can Go Now
Aleena I.

Leave
get out
bye-bye.

I own this
place it's mine
get out.

We're through
so long
farewell

run, leave
see you
later, adiós

salut
tschüss, ciao.
You can go.

It's Quiet
Sophie L.

It's quiet.

Like the morning
sun before it
comes.
The birds are
still sleeping.
Sleeping until the
rooster wakes them
up.

Now night falls
still quiet.

The night animals
come out, come
out as if
it is their
shift.

Morning come back.
Still quiet.

We're Sorry We Were Late
Sergio N.

I'm sorry I
was late for
class.
I'm sorry I
was late for
dinner.

I'm sorry
we were late
for school.

I'm sorry for
being late for
the dance.

I'm sorry I
was late for
the movie.

I'm sorry for
being late at
everything.

My Mind Was Hanging Outside the Window
Divya P.

Snow why

Blizzard why

Why can't I
play outside

Cold why

I said while
my mind was
hanging outside
the window

I Saw Her
Daniel S.

I saw her,
she's beautiful,
her eyes shine
like stars.

Looking at her
her perfume
entering my nose,
I dream of her.

When I look
at her,
I trip over
my own feet.

She's an angel
sent from
heaven

to bring me
eternal
happiness.

It's Not As Easy
Angela Y.

It's not as
easy to live
a full life.

As it's not
easy to forget
horrible memories now...

it gets easier
and easier to
live if you try
hard enough

but it's not
as easy
to live with
problems everywhere
everywhere...

but now it's
easy to write
this poem.

Mrs. Goode, 5th Grade (6 stanzas + 3 to 6 words per line)

He Learned Too Late
Kayla H.

Why didn't he before
he needed to
know it today.

He learned too late.
What happened to him
he just skipped it.

I've been waiting
to study with him.
He came too late.

He learned too late
he said to me.
He said he
doesn't care anymore.

Why didn't he learn,
I just don't know,
he just said.

I didn't care
he said again
just leave me
alone please said him.

This Is a Story of Long, Long Ago
Klea K.

    Long, long ago,
someone was looking.
Looking everywhere. What he saw?
He saw everything.
Where he saw things?
Everywhere. Again I say.
From the mountain tops,
to the valleys.
From the towers,
to the tunnels.
Impossible! You might say.

      Resistant to everything.
But not electricity.
Thomas Edison knew.
He knew what he was doing.
He wanted to kill jumper.
Thomas Edison didn't make
electricity to be an inventor
or try something new.
He wanted to kill jumper.

      Well now you know.
Said the Grandpa to his
child. I want to know more!

    I can't tell you any more,
that's all I am allowed
to tell you. I will not
lie to you. I will die
if I go any further.

      "But why?" Because...Five
seconds of silence occurred.
Because I am jumper.

    No more conversation.
No more questions. No
more answers. That's when
the only jumper left in
the world died.

They're Here Already
Anastasia K.

They're here already.
They are coming to get us.
We have to hide fast.
I am squished in my closet.

I should've never said her name
in the mirror 5 times.
OMG she is here
she is gonna kill me.

I am so scared.
I run outside for help.
No one is outside.
She is looking for me
in the house.

I run by Solomon School
I tried to get in but
it was locked.

I hear her in the house
I start crying.
Again I scream for help.

She got me.
People look at my grave.

We Cannot Keep This a Secret Any Longer
Sherine M.

It's my identity that
needs to be revealed,
show my self to the
world, to reveal who I am.

This secret I cannot
keep any longer, it's
disturbing, it's hurtful, but
it is who I am.

I don't know what
to do, it's hard, to
think about it makes
me mad, sad, but hopeful.

To be who I am
will be scary to you
but it will make me
lonely and sad.

I have to do it
but when? Where?
Where and how?

To see who
I am, why am
I who I am.
This is me,
I am a ghost.

At 3 P.M. On This Particular Day
Isis M.

At 3 p.m. on this day
I was doing my homework
at home with my friend.

Later at 3:30 p.m. I
was on the phone with
my best friend.

It was 4 p.m. I
was on the computer on
this website called Fun Brain.

I was very sleepy 5 p.m.
I had to go take
a shower it was
not really fun.

It was 8:30 p.m. I
was watching TV. I was
watching what I really like.

It was 10 p.m. I
was going to sleep and
I wanted to talk to
mom but my mom was
sleeping I didn't want to
wake her up.

It's Peaceful
Joseph M.

You snap in the peaceful
air. The peaceful air you breathe
in. peaceful grass in the summer.

The white shivering snow.
Peaceful skies with the watery clouds.

Peaceful people walking around.
The leaves fall and crunch.
Peaceful smell flying through the air.

Plants are peaceful full of water.

Peaceful snowman built all the air.

It's peaceful air full of fun.

A Bee Should Be Able to Fly
Khang N.

Maybe not...it's
too fat to be carried
too small to be up
and not aware of the surroundings.

It can make honey
spike your dog
and have no minds.
Nothing it can like
they are miserable
at playing sports and
are not cool

thy have rude attitudes
don't care, don't talk
have no feelings.

They complain about.
They quarrel a lot.
And aren't skilled
at doing work.

Or so as humans
think...but they
insult the bee, without any care
for what they think about you.

But they don't care what
you think, they just do
what they want.

I Sometimes Catch Myself Looking up at the Moon
Toni S.

I stare up.
It shines and
glitters an amazing object.

So inspiring I
have so many wonders.
It has this special thing.
A look like something
I've never seen.

The moon trembles
the view is extraordinary
from Earth my friend
and I see the
importance of this object.

I'm in the car.
I catch myself
staring up if you
talk to me I don't hear.

I keep thinking that
the moon is moving
but it's not, that is
how strong the view is.

Everybody should see
  something this big so
beautiful and so helpful.

It Was My Favorite Year...
Sam S.

It was my favorite year when
I hit the gas station with
the bag of leaves. The
baseball hit the football
in the sauna. All the kids
were hitting apples with sticks.

My heart was punctured
with an arrow. The bank
was smashed by a giant
potato with sour cream.

Mr. Bean lost his pants and
walked on the surfboard.
Ms. Pacman met Pacman
and they got married.

The skirts started to talk
while the pants called
them big mouths.

The man bought leaves
in a plastic factory.
The number 8 was used
as the girls glasses.

This year was the best
year except that my heart
was demolished with an
arrow but I am still alive.

Gone Are My Blues and Gone Are My Tears
Darius V.

Why does the world
have to be blue.
Why does its people
must cry for every
thing that the world
gives them. Why?

Why can the world
be good to us.
Why can the light
conquer the darkness.

Why do the children
have to swim through
tears that their fathers
wept. Why are they
blue, such a loneliness color.

Why can the
world be fun
and games. Why
is it only
serious matter that
we must solve only
to open it to an other
problem we must solve.

Why can we have
a button that says
Gone are my blues
and gone are my tears. Why
can we just not be
blue and stop crying.

Why must the world
be so cruel to
us. why does
the world have to
be blue lonesome
and tearful. Why?

And That Is How I Remember Them
Jason Z.

I went to the circus.
I saw a clown.
He was big and fat
and had a big red nose.
He fit in a small car
the size of my shoe.

He went up on a tower
the ringmaster said get down.
So he started dancing
then he started rapping
then he fell
it was a tragedy
let's all have a
moment of silence just joking.

Then he got down
he gave the ringmaster a flower
it got him wet
then he said sorry to him
he shook his hand
it shocked him.

After he got in the car
he ran over
the ringmaster's foot
then he crashed
into a pole
reversed and ran over
the ringmaster's other foot.

Next he tried to jump
into a bucket of water
he made it in
then he got out and said
I got wet.

I loved the circus
and that is how
I remembered them.