‘For once I feel like my life isn’t dirt cheap’: Poems of Routine and Repetition

BY Timothy David Rey
/ 23 Apr 2025

We explored the powerful device of Repetition in Phil Kaye’s poem of the same name. Some poems in our workshop are ‘after’ Kaye’s work.

Lesson Note: “Repetition can make magic happen- repeat a word or a phrase enough times and it breathes new life, fresh meaning. Or repetition can strip language until all that’s left are empty rhythms and sounds. Words are funny like that.”-New York Times, critic, Maya Phillips.

Ms. Hernandez, 7th Grade

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Madeline J.

I saw the sky in the morning, so vast so clear,

I saw the sky in the morning, no place for fear.

I saw the sky in the morning, little rain,

Going drip, drip, drip.

I saw the sky in the morning, a crowded atmosphere,

Full of sweet dreams, and pressured clouds.

I saw the sky in the morning, a beaded corset of colors,

Orange, blue, pink

I woke up the next morning, with no sight of the sky,

No clear sky,

No crowded sky,

No colored sky,

There was no more sky,

In its place was a colored line,

A rainbow in her eyes,

A good day is to come, mama says,

I saw the sky the next morning,

No clear sky,

No crowded sky,

No colored sky,

It’s a blank, grey sky,

It’s a bad day to come mama says,

No hope for the sky

No more happiness from the sky,

Just blank emotion,

Blank, blank, blank

The cliff called life

by Ronan H-C

Every other day,

Another day,

Day.

This day was different though.

Different.

The type of difference where it makes an impact in your life.

This day was meaningful.

The day had meaning.

But that meaning was lost through the blue light.

Meaningless.

Life only exists so long.

A day,

A month,

A year,

All bits of your lifeline taken away.

An unstoppable force

Each day pushing you until you fall off the cliff called life.

Every bad decision and hardship makes it easier to jump.

Every happy moment and joy in your life makes it a steeper fall.

This day had made it steeper.

Happiness was filling my face.

Glad to have lived this day.

Joy,

Cheer,

Hope.

This day helped me enjoy my life and it helped me make the fall easier.

Like if a mattress had been placed to soften the effects.

Happiness.

Mrs. McClain, 8th Grade

Fine Times or Wasted Times

by Noah D. D.

I think Mr Montgomery, his echoing loud voice. He tells me to go to work over and over, repeating. “Go to work, go to work, go to work you’re already up, ringing in and out of my ears.

The first time he tried this, it motivated me, but the more and more it loses its beauty.

My brain tells me to sleep, but my heart for Mr. Montgomery says to work.

The great big MBSQ asking me when it wasn’t ok, oh, school, how hard it is.

I have to go, though I can’t disappoint Mr. Montgomery.

At night, I think about Mr Montgomery’s resilience. How does he do it? His name is such an important thing to be, but his goods go out so quickly.

The repeating lines over and over Mr montgomery bothering me oh how much I cant deal with it its hard to be perfect like him.

School though its beauty talking about stocks with Mr. Raman and than going home with and studying them with David him using the line “ I sold my stocks too early” over and over its once beautiful bliss of creativity now gone reduced to nothing like a candle when its wick has been blown out.

I really think back to all the good memories Ive had and think about all the time wasted, doing pointless repeating tasks until they mean nothing to me. Like the Coco finger training I miss, what I once thought would help could’ve just wasted all my time.

Mr. Montgomery, oh, how much I miss him to be such a skinny king like him.

Oh, the memories, the people who just remind me when I think back: Jimbo, Salim, David, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Raman, and that’s just a few. Are these fine times or wasted?

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by Sergio H.

after e. e. cummings and Phil Kaye

I get up in the morning and eat breakfast. I begin to walk to school and think.

Did I do my homework and I started to stress, but I don’t think about it anymore. I think about my heart. What am I without it? I dream of a world where…

I carry my heart with me

I carry it in my heart

I am never without it

I am always thinking about it

I can always count on my heart to lead me to success

I can always see my heart keeping me healthy

I can always trust my heart to the fullest extent

I see my heart beating like the drums of life

I see my heart working hard night and day

I can see that my heart trusts me

I understand my heart will leave one day

I understand my heart will die one day

I understand without my heart I will also die

I understand my life without my heart is nothing

I understand that my heart will beat till the day I die, besides me until the beat of life stops and silence takes control of the once lively host.

I remember

I always carry my heart

I am never without it

I am

will always be thinking about it

And I will always remember that without my heart… I am nothing

Mrs. McClain, 8th Grade

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by Santiago M.

I wake up and right away check the time to see if i woke up to early or to late so i know how much time i have to get ready and then i get up and eat my breakfast my usual is cereal but today felt different so i made myself some eggs to eat and then i finish like after 2 or 3 minutes then i get ready and then i put my clothes choose my fit for the day and i put my backpack on i check if my cat has food and water and if he doesn’t have water or food i give him then after that i say bye to my cat and my sister then my dad my mom is already at work when i wake up then i say bye to everybody then i leave i start walking to school its a 30 minute walk and i leave around 7:00 get at school around 7:31 sometimes and everyday the crossing guard from my school says good morning i say good morning to her like a quick 20 second conversation probably less, then i get to the little corner where all 8th grade boys meet up and there is usually one of my friends there and then i say hi then more of my friends from 8th grade come then we wait a little and then we go to school.

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by Felix M-A.