In Ms. Mild-Thomas’s 6th grade class, we read Lucille Clifton’s “[running into a new year]” and thought about how we’re moving into this new year through these complicated times. We talked a lot about how poetry can hold all of our emotions: good, bad, and complicated. We also thought about how Lucille Clifton uses lines, punctuation, and capitalization as tools of expression.
[Shaking into the new year]
Elizabeth Brolo
I’m shaking into the new year because…
I don’t know who to believe.
I don’t know what to do.
It’s like I’m drowning in the new year.
I need someone to save me and love me.
Someone to take care of me
Someone who will love me and all my flaws
Someone who would cook for me
Just like my abuela.
Im taking my abuela to the new year
The new year runs toward me
Jaelynn S
A new year
-James G
I am crawling into a new year
nervous on how people will treat me,
not ready to move on to the new year 2022
but I am hopping into the new year,
like a frog hopping around on the grass
so I can start new year resolutions
but I am still nervous about this new year
Knowing if people will like me in the new year
like being the new kid at school
New Years
-Luis G
New years is the kind of thing that makes me confused on what’s going to happen next.
At first it’s just like standing there quietly,
Wanting to question everything from the past
And wondering what’s going to happen next.
Standing there quietly….
But I won’t mind it and continue on,
Walking slowly while concerned about this new year
It’s like I’m in a horror movie where I’m the main character.
But then all of a sudden..walking slowly this new years, I
F
A
L
L
Down the stairs, injured like a video game character.
I limp into new years, like an injured WW2 soldier,
As I move into new years.
I may be very concerned and scared of what’s going to happen next in new years,
But at least I am moving into this new year.
