For their 8th week of poetry Twain 6th graders explored various ways to communicate with one another. Our society relies heavily on technology. Some students feel only comfortable communicating through emails and texts, while others like to use phone calls to stay in touch with one another. But long-ago sending letters was the only way to pass on information and were usually sent by ships or carriages. So, letters were prized and kept as keepsakes, since letters contained day to day stories from the lives of loved ones.
Together we read and discussed the poem “Dear Sky,” by Naomi Shihab Nye. In her poem Nye writes a letter addressed to the sky, speaking directly to it as it was a close friend. You calm me down/ when you are gray, I know you are holding onto the rain, doing your job/ When you’re blue everyone loves you/ so may styles of cloud drifting quietly. Nye is showing gratitude to the sky, for its beauty, rain, clouds and the way it connects everyone together no matter where they live on Earth.
Inspired by Noami Shihab Nye, students wrote their own letter poems, addressing them to the important people and things in their lives.
Mr. Barr’s 6th Grade
Group 1
Dear Missing Maniacal Pen
By Lia M.
Dear MMP,
I don’t know what I’ve
done to make you vanish.
I miss drawing pictures
and stars with you.
The silky, black ink you
leaked onto my paper
was divine.
If you miss filling the
white papers with it,
please come back to me.
I will give you your own
pencil case mansion
to yourself.
With Appreciation,
Lia
Letter to the Moon
By Damian A.
Dear Moon
I’ve recently found out that
you can do bad things.
You can cause natural disasters
just by entering Earth’s orbit.
So, if you get hit by an asteroid,
resist the temptation of going
into Earth’s orbit.
Despite all this you are really cool
to look at in the night sky.
I just have one question ……
Are you in a deep slumber?
Sincerely,
Somebody
Dear Valverde,
by Ricardo O.
Dear, Valverde
Thank you for providing for Madrid.
We all thank you for doing your best
at this club.
Being an important piece of the midfield.
You don’t need to be amazing to be
fan favorite.
You and your power shots
Ho do you do this with such power.
Madrid wouldn’t be the same without
you.
To be honest, if it wasn’t for you we
would have not Manchester City
in the Champions League.
Sincerely, Ricardo O.
Dear Friend (Alejandra)
By Jasmin R.
Hey, Alejandra.
Thanks for being my best friend.
I am inviting you to my birthday
party.
You can bring any of our friends.
You’re only invited if you bring
food, such as snacks, full-on
meals, etc.
The birthday party (my actual birthday),
is set to be on May 24th, right afterschool.
We can also do our homework together.
If you’re bringing one of our friends,
please tell me before you bring them.
Also, give me proof that they’re
allowed to go to my birthday.
Thanks.
(Also bring my plus car back. My sis
wants it and it’s not even yours)
Sincerely, your rat friend Jas.
Dear Grandpa
By Daniel T.
Thank you for the money you gave us.
Thank you for the toy cars that I stole.
I’m sorry for the hug I never gave.
I’m sorry for not spending as much
time as I should have.
Your old scent fills me with glee.
Not the new one, that one I hate.
Your simple clothes:
white shirt
washed out jeans
and brown torn shoes.
Walking out with us every day
we came over.
Sorry for not going over as much.
I’m sorry all that pain wasn’t shared.
Thank you for trying.
Love your,
Torton
Mr. Barr’s 6th Grade
Group 2
Dear Cheeseburger
By Cordell B.
Thank you for being a food.
You make me happy.
Yet, you also make me hungry.
With a side of fries,
you’re amazing.
But you’re still good without it.
I prefer you over pizza.
You’re the best at McDonalds.
If I see you, I will eat you.
I like how you taste.
If I see you, you’re not safe.
You will be consumed.
From,
Your Eater
Dear Bees and Wasps
By Raul A.
Please leave me alone.
You are bot wanted in my backyard.
You ruin the experience of going outside.
You fly right in front of me, and it causes
me to get scared.
The sound of your buzzing is annoying.
You suddenly fly toward me at top speed
and I get scared because I didn’t even know
that you can fly fast.
Your built like a beaver with wings.
Why do you go to our flowers,
when there are better flowers
four houses down.
If you come at me again,
I’m spraying you with the hose
and take your hive
and drown it.
Sincerely,
#1 Bee and Wasp Hater
Dear Moon and Stars
By Arely C.
Moon and stars, you fantasize me.
How can you stay glowing every night?
How is it like in Tokyo, India, Mississippi?
I love how you glow from the sky above us.
Stars, I wish you show yourself more.
You show us people story and pictures.
Thank you for sticking around,
giving us light from the dark blue sky.
Sincerely, and Yours Truly,
A stranger from Earth
Dear Rain
By Sarahi C.
Thanks for making my days better.
Relaxing my soul,
being my night song,
being my movie night background
Rain all day, night, and day.
Fill the earth with love,
leave after midnight,
leave the beautiful
night sky last
-Sarahi
Mr. Barr’s 6th Grade
Group 3
Dear Aliens In Space
By Valerie L.
Please don’t abduct me.
I’m sorry or saying you have too
many toes or one of many noses.
I hope this helps you reconsider
on kidnapping me this winter.
I’m writing this letter for you to understand,
I didn’t mean to hurt your one of many hands.
I hear ship sounds at night
and it gives me a fright.
Sincerely,
The kid you wanna take
Dear, My Dog Enzo,
By Allison Q.
I love you and all, but when I take you walk,
you go all guard dog when we pass a person
or another dog and you almost drag me.
When you poop it comes out big and sometimes
watery. So please stop making those poops
come out.
But I still love you, even when you go guard dog,
because you are a Cane Corso, so that shows
that you’re the real deal, instead of a knock off.
I’m happy we got your breed color,
you’re so cute. My mom said the black
Cane Corsos are scary and we got you
instead, and I’m happy with you. That
means we made the right decision
in choosing you.
Sincerely,
Allison
P.S. Thank you for protecting me
when I take you on walks alone.
Dear Food
By Ariana S.
Each dish has a purpose in each country.
But the larger it is, the more calories it has.
And if you eat less,
it’s unhealthy.
But if you overeat,
it’s unhealthy.
You have to eat the right amount each day,
or else you’ll gain or lose weight.
Which makes some people question
about how they eat.
Then they start eating less and less
until nothing
But without food, no one on this planet
can survive.
Without food there is no life.
So, food thank you for people
being able to survive.
