For our second week at Skinner, we had a little more time to discuss the poet and poem, to write, and then share the finished products in class. In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday Monday, we read Langston Hughes‘ “I look at the world.” The main question we tackled was what does the speaker see in the poem? I asked what “fenced-off narrow space” might refer to, as well as why the walls are described as “silly”? Also, how could the speaker see “with eyes no longer blind”? Students had many interesting responses to this idea, and the whole concept of seeing was behind this week’s prompt, where I asked the 2nd graders to imagine they opened their eyes and looked at something, and then to describe it.
The Peaceful Night Closes My Eyes
Sonia C.
I see in the dark night
the door closes the
windows shiver they pop
like balloons I close
my eyes and open
them again
shivering in the wind
dancing in the night
I open my eyes it’s
just a peaceful dream.
The Place
Henry D.
I saw the doors
I saw the windows
I still don’t know where I am
and I see a blue ceiling
and a white ground
and a wide open space
Ocean
Pascale L.
When I look at the
ocean it is peaceful
and calm but when it is
naughty it has lots of waves
I see a dolphin flying in
the air with a shell shining
in the air
Untitled
Sophia L.
When I’m awakening
my eyes I see a
bee fly to me I
think it will sting me
then it will hurt
The World
Keshaiyah Q.
I see the world
on my head
I can’t stop
it and the
world stayed
on for hours
until I opened
my view.
Summer
Daniela S.
It’s summer it’s summer
I’m opening my eyes
I’m free
I see a beach, water, and sand.
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Jazmynn B.
When I open my eyes, I see a monkey.
I have never seen a monkey before,
I think it looks like a furry mammal
with a long tail. I feel very happy
about the monkeys.
Untitled
Calvin H.
I look at the slope
from awakening eyes and a
white face
I see an icy slope
covered in snow
through bright eyes and
bright face all I know
is this ice has to
go
I look at my body
with adjusted eyes
and see my own
hands make the world
in my mind
A New Dawn
Axel H.
When I open my eyes, I find myself at the
edge of a cliff, in the open sea, or maybe
the country of the I’mpossible.
I can do anything, but all I need is my mind
when I’m blind.
I don’t need my eyes at all, even for
the most beautiful sights, for I can think up
more.
Lonely
Katelyn L.
When I lost my way once
and tried to find my way back.
But when I tried
my eyes couldn’t look.
I was too scared.
When I looked at the walls
I couldn’t see.
It was too dark.
I couldn’t bear to look.
Then I found my way home.
I never went outside again.
Paper
Ingrid L.
I look at the paper.
It looks so lonely and
blank. I will draw a
few drawings, and then
it will not be lonely.
What shall I draw?
An elephant, a tiger, a dolphin.
What will I draw to
make it unlonely?
Nothing with Pizza
Hunter R.
When I look at the sky,
I see my favorite thing.
That thing is nothing.
I was sad.
Then I saw something.
Then I was happy.
It was pizza.
I wonder what
it is like.
It looked good.
I tried it.
It was bad.
The Bridge
Tommy V.
I open my
eyes
when I
wake up
I look out
the window
I see an
old train
bridge.
It’s ugly
people do
writing on it
I wish it
was gone.
It is brown
and falling
apart.
I wish
it was
a park.
Sailing
Nikita A.
Early in the morning I can see
the sea.
With the ocean so blue
and our crew.
There’s food and water in the boat
and stoves for the chefs to cook.
All the chefs have lots to make
with everyone wanting cookies being
baked.
We go to sleep and on the third
day of sunset I’m on land.
When I Open My Eyes
Stella C.
I open my eyes
and what a surprise.
I see something big
standing there.
I turn on my lamp
and there it is:
my mother, waiting for me.
She is standing there
holding my back-pack.
Then she tells me to
get up out of bed and
she says, “Stella, get ready for school!”
What I See
Ciara G.
I see trees and
blackberries outside
the window I see kids playing
and having fun when I’m in
the sun.
when I’m in the sun
I’m on the beach
I’m having fun
making castles on sand.
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Darryl H.
Wake up in the morning and I look at
my dog. My dog licks my face crazy,
then I’m up out of bed and I’m ready
to go.
I get out of bed but I fall on my
face. Then my dog gets on me and
starts licking my face.
But then I sit there and play with
my dog. But then she tackles me and
then I just sit.
I See a Bouncy Ball!
Joy S.
I open my eyes and I see
a small little toy.
It is squishy and soft.
It has green polka dots.
It bounces and goes up high.
I throw it again and again.
It is yellow with green polka dots.
I like it very much.
I am filled with joy as I play with this toy.
I see hearts and smiley faces on this toy.
I bounce it and it gets stuck in a tree.
I ask my mom to help me.
She tries and tries to get it down.
I have a big frown.
Finally she gets it down.
I jump with joy
as I bounce my toy.
I have small bouncy ball!
A Lantern in the Sky
Brianna E.
I see a bracelet. Like a big lantern.
Shimmering in the night. And the
colorful diamonds dancing around in a
great big circle. As I watch them
shimmer in the sky. Then the lantern
smiles at me as I smile back.
Happy Days Change
Alyssa L.
I have a happy day
I look at people and
say have a happy day
I talk on the phone
and say have a happy
day I’m at the beach
and say have a happy
jolly day and one day
I was down in the
dumps and said have
a bad bad day and they
yelled I put my foot
in a mouth
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Nicole P.
I see the beautiful salty
ocean. It is very calm. No one
could resist it. I see it all.
Vase
Alanah P.
I see a vase.
I see a flower.
I see more flowers.
Now this is 6.
On the vase I see painted flowers.
Each one has a diamond.
All the flowers are green and blue.
Soon I will give this vase to you.
I Think of Poetry
Zoe R.
I think I see poetry I put my hand
in my mind to think of poetry I can
rhyme it I think it you can make silly
it makes my stomach laugh it makes
me think of good things it makes me
laugh it makes me cry so much
silly things that is why I love poe-
try.
