For our most recent session with Waters 6th graders, we delved into erasure poems, also known as blackout poems. After looking at a variety of examples, each student received an excerpt from Sandra Cisneros’ House On Mango Street. They pulled their own weird, cool, funny and beautiful poems out of Cisneros’ poetic prose. Enjoy their blackout text below (with some photos for reference).
Ms. Hooper’s Class
Untitled
by Ilora P.
sky
safe when sad. Butterflies
and flowers beautiful
wise
and full of clouds
pillows
cloud
simple
Untitled
by Ewan A.
scared dangerous
lost
by mistake
we aren’t afraid
we are safe
You can fall asleep
sadness
most things are beautiful
firecrackers
pillows
You all see that cloud
simple.
not tall, very small
on the living room couch
pearls
anyway because they were pretty
DARIUS & THE CLOUDS
by Jack L.
wake up drunk
Darius
fat
family arms
was not very small
teeth feet fat
thick powdered stuffed
pink
wobble pretty
THOSE WHO DON’T
by Nora M.
scared. They think we’re dangerous
we will attack stupid people
by mistake.
we aren’t afraid. the
big one dumb
Fat not fat anymore
Yeah. That
is how it goes.
Ms. Collins Class
THOSE WHO DON’T
by Matthew G.
don’t know scared dangerous
shiny knives are stupid
we aren’t crooked all
nor
safe
You can never fall asleep
there is too much sadness and
most things are
stupid
nothing chases
clouds
like popcorn said
Sin Titulo
por Danna V.G.
Los que no saben. Creen que somos peligrosos
Son estúpidos
nosotros no tenemos miedo
un tonto adulto
estamos a salvo miranos entrar
Nunca puedes dormirte puede
mantenerte a salvo demasiada tristeza
flores bellas
escuela estupido tonto
dias
rata cree duro
esa gorda de ahi dijo
parecen palomitas
simple
familia brazos manos
alta pies
roncaba
tamales
preciosos
porque eran bonitos
Untitled
by Zach L.
Those who our dangerous
think we will attack with shiny knives stupid people
afraid
dumb grown man he’s
Fat shakity-shake rolled up tight eyes look straight
CLOUDS
by Isabella R.
can have too much sky. can
you be beautiful
best of
God
and
FAMILY
and
