In our 5th workshop we used poetry as a means to honor and celebrate those we’ve lost by having the students write poems in the form of letters and odes to those they miss.
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Ms. Dydo
8th Grade
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I miss
Jajuan S.
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I miss my brother, he got
shot and killed June 24, 2017
He was walking and they
tried to rob hime while he was
going to the store. He wasn’t
trying to give his money up so they
shot and killed him. I miss him
very much. I used to be with him
everyday. Now when he’s gone
I think about him a lot because
if he was with me that day
he would still be alive.
I wis he was still here. I’ll
never in life, be the same
again.
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To My Cousin Pancho
Raquel R.
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Dear Pancho, hey Pancho
I miss you cousin. I miss you
calling me your niece when I’m
your cousin and you cracking
jokes making people laugh. You showed
nothing but love to me while I was
with you. Like I was your child.
You always wanted all your little
nieces and cousins together. You were
funny as ever. I remember watching
the ugly Christmas sweater video
and you came downstairs with
all the Christmas lights on and
you plugged it up. I couldn’t
stop laughing even while I was
crying. Even though we wasn’t close
you had an effect on my life
and even though your brother (my favorite
cousin in the whole world) is funny
he’ll never be your kind of funny.
Man man man, the hatred and
stupidity of a low life
male with a gun. Took you
off this Earth to Heaven’s gates/
Not even caring that your daughter
and finance was in your house.
The same house he shot you
in front of. RIP cousin.
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Ms. Dydo
7th Grade
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Dear Tobias
Demarcus T.
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Dear Tobias, How’s it been
old friend. It’s been a
long time. The old times we
used to have when we play at
the playground when we were
little. Remember, the times we
defended each other and had
each other’s back. Remember,
that I met your mother
and you met my parents.
Remember, the time when it
was your birthday and I
came to your birthday party
to meet your family. Remember,
the time me and you running
like how kids should be having
fun. Now, the times are over,
because of how stupid I was to
push your buttons like a microwave.
Still here, regretting what I did
and still hope we meet each
other in the future.
Your true friend,
Demarcus
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Dear Granddaddy
Takarionna G.
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Dear Granddady,
I miss you
six years have passed away
without you
I miss the days
I can come to your house
every day to get away
far away from school
You are so important
to me
because you were always there
for me
when I was down
you where there
when you didn’t feel good at all
the day you went to fall out
you were there for me
I love you
but when the day came
when my aunt
coming to my mother
telling that you had died
from cancer
when the tears fall from my face
running to my room
getting the last thing you ever gave to me
It hurts
I lost you for-
ever. Do you remember the time
you told me
that you was going
to teach me how to drive
you was going
to walk me down the aisle
you was going
to be there forever
for me
I miss you
I hate the fact that you’re gone
you’re gone for-
ever the tears fall from my face
as it rains outside
for the past few days
I hate it
Love Takarionna
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Ms. Dydo
6th Grade
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Dear Jada
Malcolm S.
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Dear Jada (little sister)
I miss you
even though
I have not seen you
ever. I hear a lot
of great things
about you.
Stay safe.
You probably don’t know
I am alive, but I love you.
I hope I can see you.
Sincerely Malcolm
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My grandmother
Damareye D.
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My grandmother
she moved to Rockford
and my family
and my cousin
and my auntie and uncle
I miss them all
them and I
call them on the phone
everyday all day
and grandmother’s kind to me
and buys me stuff
and my grandpa died
in front of me
and my sister and brothers
and we were crying
lots and lots
of time
I miss
my grandpa
and cousin
got shot 18 times
and I was crying lots
and my family on my mom’s side
they were crying too
and his mom and his brother too
and my family
was crying
and they went to his church
and they were crying too much
and lots of time now since cousin
died
and most of the time
I don’t see all my family
and auntie
and uncle
and people
I know I be callin them
lots of the time
when people in my family
died
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The Poetry Center always highlights full poems from each session within each blog post, however, I would also like to celebrate a few more poets! So here are some snippets, quotes, and hot lines from some of the poems that didn’t get published in this post!
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Hot Lines
Jamal L, 6th Grade
“…I feel like a bear is biting through my skull…
You was just walking home to live with us
and a person mistakes you for someone else
and shot you. But you will always be in my head…”
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Rastad L., 6th Grade
“Dear friend
I miss playing the game
and I miss playing b-ball with him
and all the fun times we had…”
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Amira D., 7th Grade
“…I feel a little sad
but I don’t show it
we got in a bad fight
and I said some stuff
that I regret …”
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Don N., 7th Grade
“Papa I miss you because
you were nice to me
everyday you were alive…”
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Tyrell G., 8th Grade
“Dear Ms. Stork,
I miss you because you made school easy. You loved
to have fun and gave me the power to imagine …”
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Ziclaly D., 8th Grade
“…she left
and we don’t see each other
like how we used to before
and all them good memories
and when we was together…”
