We’re back!
I took this week’s writing idea from Kenneth Koch’s landmark book about teaching poetry, “Wishes, Lies and Dreams.” We reflected on change, metaphor and imagery, then wrote our own poems about before and after.
4th period
I Am
Isaiah H.
I used to be a finger, now I’m
a hand
I used to be a face, now I’m a body
I used to be a store, now I’m a
building
I used to be a knight, now I’m
a king
I used to be a frog, now I’m a
rabbit
I used to be a mouse, now I’m a
rat
I used to have friends, now I’m
all alone.
I used to be tall, now I am small
But Now
Marvell J.
I used to look at the ground but now I
look at the sky. I used to look out to the
sea but now I don’t. I used to like everything but
now I like some things. I used to didn’t like school but
now I like it a little more.
Untitled
Colby M.
I used to be small
But now I’m big
I also used to be dumbfounded
But now I’m brilliant
I used to be ashy
But now my skin is moist
I used to be in grammar school
Now I’m in high school
I used to be the cat in the hat
Now I’m the lynx in your sink
I used to have long hair
Now I have short hair
5th period
I used to…
Nicholas B.
I used to not talk at all,
I used to sing very terrible,
But now my singing has gotten better
and I kind of talk too much
I used to care about others’ opinions
But now I don’t
I used to hate my sister,
But now we are cooler than we were
before
I used to be sad,
Now I’m happy as the sun
I used to feel like lost pieces,
But now I feel whole as one
The Change
Darrell D.
All I think about is change
like how I used to be a baller
but now I’m a staller how
I used to make the game but
now I’m getting played in the
game or maybe how she called
you bae and really you want
a little taste or how we
used to play-fight but now you
just want to fight crazy how
a simple little lie can change
a person or see how we
used to play but now
all you see is little kids
getting shot in the face
or how our mothers
used to be so happy
but now she can’t cause
you was all she had
but now you gone
Untitled
Marcus R.
I used to be a Knicks fan
And now I still am, but they weak now
I used to eat raw cheeseburgers
But now I eat raw fish sticks
I used to get straight As
But now I get straight Fs
I used to play XBox One
But now I play the PS4
I used to be able to fly
But now I use the toilet
7th period
I Used to But Now
Karon E.
The world used to be
good
But now it’s bad
I used to be a good kid
But now I’m kinda bad
School used to be fun
But people think it’s dumb
Style didn’t matter but now
it does
Teachers are funny but others
are not
Some kids think it’s cool
to talk about others NOO! A need
to CHANGE
I was a boy, now I’m a young man
I USED TO
Malik M.
I used to make money
but now, I’m chasing money
I used to be love
but now, I’m lust
I used to love girls
but now, I can’t trust ’em
I used to drive
but now, I’m riding
I used to not care ’bout fashion
but now, I AM fashion
I used to hate math
but now, I love math
I used to play with people’s hearts
but now, I don’t have a heart
I Used to But Now…
I used to be good
but now I’m bad
I used to always be happy
but now I’m always sad
I used to have big dreams
but now I can’t think right
I used to like writing
but now I hate to write
I used to be nice to strangers
but now they scare me
I used to like running
but now I faint easy
I used to love school
but now I hate it
I used to be wise
but now a peanut is where my brain is
I used to play sports
but now I’m lazy
I used to love tulips
but now I like daisies
I used to use purple pens
but now I use pink
I used to love eating food
but now I just like drinks
