This week took the class into more Narrative style poetry, adding Personification and the Vernacular with a bit of humor. The studied text was Frank O’Hara’s ‘A True Account of Talking To The Sun At Fire Island’. After reading the poem, students were assigned an image of an inanimate object and asked to use their imagination to construct a poetic dialogue with that object, like O’Hara did in ‘A True Account…’ The poems were all so good, that it was hard to pick just a few, but here are some examples of the student’s wonderful work! Enjoy!
Mrs. Nazimek
8th Grade, 1st Period
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Mealanie L.
Horses don’t go!
run like an angel
Breath like a star
Don’t let the wind
take you down
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Amimee P.
‘I’m here, get up, it’s time,’ the heel
on number 6. ‘I can’t, I’m sick
to my stomach,’ I replied.
‘You did fine dancing with me,’
jumped in 8.
‘Me too; the way we moved,’
7 came in. ‘We’ve got this-I
promise.’
‘If I may say I seen how you
move, perfect would be an under
statement.’ 9 jumped in.
‘Thank you guys, I…we can do
this 6, let’s go and put on a
show.’
A True Account of Talking to the Ocean
Alina H.
‘You’re really unpredictable,’
‘Is that why you
never come to me?’
‘I miss that feeling of the
cool water and the way
he fish tickle your toes.’
‘Come see me child,
the ocean isn’t what
it used to be.’
“I miss the color and the way
the water swallows you up.’
‘You can not keep this
hatred towards me.’
‘At last you have said it!’
The truth is hard but
I do not hate you ocean
you are beautiful in
every way.’
‘Come to me then’
‘Later it’s winter
and I’m sick.’
Ocean stated sadly.
Mrs. Nazimek
8th Grade, 2nd Period
Money Goals
Hanzel M.
‘Hey you with the face yes you with the nose’
As I hear something speaking to me noise coming
from my wallet. It was the money from
my wallet speaking to me. The money said
‘what are you going to do with me
keep me here for centuries’ as he asked. I
replied with ‘what do you want me to do buy
things?’ The money said, ‘indeed this holiday there
are so many deals it’s a steal.’ His bills
were one, fives, tens, twenties, hundo’s. While the
money reminded him about a car. As he
said that, i’m getting my grand new dream
whip. As we went on to shop.
The Warning
Genaro R.
Just as I was going to get up I heard
these voices. The flies were speaking to
me to start the test.
The flies had said, ‘You better study in
order to pass.’ I ignored. The flies
started stinging me. I raged but still
ignored. I had not prepared for it
anyway. ‘They are so annoying!’ I
thought. he hadn’t slept until
12:00 a.m. watching movies. The
flies then disappeared and also
where he was. He woke up and the
teacher was yelling at him for
sleeping. He looked out the window
and saw some flies.
A True Account of Talking With The Sand
Sahari C.
So quiet here
lovely, depressed
not knowing what
to do here
because of cold weather
people can’t walk
on their bare foot
look at the ocean
Allowing only animals
walk on their feet.
I am so cold
so tired of laying
here waiting for summer to come
so people could walk on me
to scare the birds away
from pooping on me
making me look ugly
scaring little kids away
parents upset to see me dirty.
Mrs. Nazimek
8th Grade, 3rd Period
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Jose A.
The seagulls had bothered me
Making its squealing sounds
Frustrating me while I do my work
Why must they do that
The seagull had responded:
Why must you do your work?
We are trying to have a nice day.
But you are ruining it yapping. Stop!
I respond saying how about you leave already
But the seagull just kept flapping his wings.
Enough is enough, I said, just leave
But the seagull didn’t move.
Finally the seagull said if we must,
We will just leave
so the seagulls flew away not saying a word
And so I went on with my day.
A True Account of Talking To an Apple Donut
Angel P.
As I was buy writing a paper an inordinate object started
talking to me. ‘Wassup? I have been hearing a lot of
rude things about you. What has gotten into you? You just had
to spray-paint a wall. So
Why can’t
you just stop what you’re doing? Talk to me.’
‘I don’t care about what I did at all. So
What, a bit of paint won’t hurt anyone. I’m just going to pay
for what I did, and be off.’
The donut rolled towards me
‘So you’re just going to end up like this? You had a future, and
you wasted it on the gangs. Those demons have changed you.
The way you dress, talk and act. All different. You’re really not
acting like an angel.’
‘It doesn’t matter.
I like who I am, and you can’t change that.’
‘I think I can.
I really believe you can change. Be more like Jake and Ron.
You still seem to be a good kid. You’re just under a bad
influence.’
I decided to then change.
That was five years ago, and now I’m going to college, and
paving the pathway to become a chemical engineer. And for
that, I thank the apple donut.
A True Account of Talking with the Heart
Julia P.
‘Wake up sleepy head. For I could stop
your time in a heart beat,’ bellowed the heart.
‘You’ve snaked me many times, believed
there is hope. You’ve betrayed me, thinking
you’re right when you’re wrong.’
‘You think I don’t know. I’ve felt the pain
in a heartbeat.’ This is no way to change
for I am deformed. I am eroded. Change is
just saying, you know what I mean
The pain is unthinkable, yet you think
about it everyday. One day when all is
well, there will be not pain. There will be
no worries. One day you will be happy.
That day will come. Yes, that day will
come.’
