In our first class back from break, we read letter poems by William Carlos Williams and Matthew Olzmann (Part 2 of “For a Recently Discovered Shipwreck at the Bottom of Lake Michigan”) and brainstormed different ways we could connect with the past, present, or future through poetry. Here are the group poems that resulted!
Miss Davis
Eighth Grade
Yellow Group
Jenna
By Tristan D., Sarina H., and Katelyn P.
I remember watching
shows and movies you were in
admiring your acting.
How did it feel to act
in Wednesday with Percy?
When acting do you get
butterflies in your stomach
thinking you might mess up?
Miss Davis
Eighth Grade
Red Group
Dear Water Bottle
By Alex K. and Atticus V.
How does it feel to not be wanted?
You create life but now no one credits you
Nobody asks for a water bottle
not even at a restaurant
When the rain pours down all the children sing,
“Rain, rain, go away, come again another day”
Dear eraser,
By Mayra R. and Karla S.
Thank you for erasing all my mistakes on paper. If I use you too much, you can rip and leave marks on my pages. As you go, you erase all the past so I can have a new start.
Miss Davis
Eighth Grade
Green Group
Evil Bird from Rio
By Elisa G. and Anneliss N.
Why be evil when you can choose not to be?
You had the choice, certainly
Your fur is white
but not in the shadows of the night
Why be stuck in the past
when you can help other birds last?
A letter from across the country
By Alyssa G.
Do you still replay the way we met in your head? I think about it before I go to bed.
The last time we hung out was at the mall. Our big smiles and loud laughter, I remember it all.
I’ll admit that I thought the days we spent together would never end. So please, visit your long-distance friend.
