In Ms. Robinson-Sanchez’s 5th grade class, we read Francisco X. Alarcón’s Natural Criminal (in English and Spanish) and thought about the ways that he used metaphor to describe the ways he did not feel like he belonged impacted us. We considered why a poet might use a metaphor to describe a big intangible emotion. Students wrote their own poems thinking about a place where they feel like they belong or alternatively a place where they do not feel a sense of belonging, with a focus on using metaphor.
How I Feel
-Alan
I am like a fancy color
of sofa that is curved.
I am like a dog that
likes to sit down by a small tree.
As if I am a Tesla
always energized
and ready to go.
Darkness
-Ivan
I am a lonely star
in a sky of darkness.
A lightning bolt
in the very dark
clouds.
A duckling away
from its family
in a shallow pond.
A galaxy without
any sight of life or death
or light.
A dark forest in the
middle of the night
with no sign of light.
I am pure darkness.
Favorite Video Game Buddies
-Brandon
When we
play, I feel
like dogs
playing with
a chew toy.
We feel
like wild
wolves, waiting
to win and
attack enemies.
We feel
like flowers
in a garden
getting a lot
of water and sun.
In the
place we
enjoy playing
our consoles
playing games.
When we
play, we
really are
true
gaming buddies.
My Friends and Me
-Travis D
My friends are the first 6 colors
in a rainbow and I’m the 7th. I’m a pile
of bricks being put together as a sturdy
wall. I feel like a flower in a flower
garden. I feel free. I feel comfortable.
I feel special. Like an animal being taken
care of, a blooming flower getting sunshine.
I’m a fish in a school of fish, like a
cookie being baked in an oven.
