This week the young vikings read David Berman’s “The Moon” https://poets.org/poem/moon-1
The poets were then challenged to brainstorm a typical day in high school but to subvert it with surrealism. I’m so proud of what they produced this week.
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
“Life of an Immortal” by Mack S.
The day begins with Mr. Ross, his pockets overflowing with poker chips.
And ends with Esports team, rampant with weasels.
In the middle: lunch with the sea otters.
A break here, Ms. Susan cycling snakes in the dryer there.
Springtime, the badminton team running like asylum inmates.
Fall, the trivia bowl for Thanksgiving filled with tap dancing tarantulas.
Winter, spirit weeks screaming fish.
Summer, a breath of baby farts.
All year round, newspaper club itching like an irritated eye.
After school, garbage everywhere to swim in.
The weekend, card games with friends of simpering bluebells.
A random Tuesday: salutes in the halls wrought in bone.
Evenings, prom set in pudding.
Mornings, football and drivers ed with the penguins.
All just another era to live through.
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
“7:45” by Nelson N.
Sitting alone at lunch with shriveled fish scales
slow walkers lost in space
speed bumps
school bells sound swimming in beans
dragging with baggy clothes
raise hands to catch fly fish
earn the right to speak
farm permission to speak
locked inside with a chicken
running like it just met the business
end of an executioner’s ax
mountains of homework raining babies
babies that used to be
security guards tango with fish
a dance of excuses and wits
raining cats and dogs with shattered
dinner plates
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
“Walking into school after 3 months” by Jaslene C.
Walking into school after 3 months
with the line going down Damen
students storming into the hall
like a crammed zoo that stank
opps seeing each other just to yell
you hear loud hyenas going back and forth
nachos on the first day
everyone is an obese viscous shark
while running to the lunch line
The weather still being hot
B.O. making everyone gag.
“Hoe, you stink!”
Then starts a fight
like two gorillas but one stinks.
Assemblies taken over by phones
and the teach yells like a rooster
giving us a jump
we laugh to go back to our phones.
