This week at Peterson, students came back from their Thanksgiving holiday. After having delicious meals with their families, students were still hungry for poetry. We explored the theme of travel; the connection people have with the various places they have visited in their lives. The 6th graders of Peterson are seasoned globe trekkers, having already traveled to destinations such as New York, Florida, Denver, Australia and Pakistan. We discussed the key elements for creating setting in poetry: time of year, time of day, mood, and weather. Setting is the environment where the poem’s main events occur. Through descriptive details readers can fully immerse themselves in the poet’s world.
Together students read the poem, “Passing Through Albuquerque,” by John Balaban. In the poem the speaker is on a road trip and makes a pit stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He stumbles upon a party, where he observes the rustic beauty of this desert city. Balaban eloquently painted images that allowed students to experience the clouds of dust, the maze of locusts, cottonwoods, a girl dancing in a white dress, and men pitching horseshoes. Like the speaker we learned to love and appreciate Albuquerque and its inhabitants. Inspired by Balaban, students wrote their own travel poems, describing significant places and people they encountered on their own journeys. Enjoy this week’s published poems.
Ms. Bell’s 6th Grade
Group 1
Passing Through Cologne, Germany
Nazrin T.
The hot breeze touches my face.
Raphael chasses Jacob, while
Leyli whines.
The sound of the church bells
ringing is music to my ears.
The beautiful chocolate museum
that’s twelve minutes away, smells
like a dream.
The beautiful park smelling of
exotic flowers and plants
feels so good in my lungs
You will love it here.
Passing Through Black Friday
John L.
The night was cold as my
family and I were getting
ready outside the car.
We walked into Best Buy.
People were shoving
and pushing. I got the
Roblox gift card.
Everything was so cheap.
PS4 for $200 and Xbox for
for $150. I was amazed, but
people rushed for them.
I waited in line to pay, then my
brother and I ran. We got to
the car safely.
Next Year I’ll be prepared with
more money.
Passing Through the Haunted House
Fatima M.
I walk through this house.
Its cold, dark, and wet.
There is a little girl
staring at the house,
not moving.
What’s the house doing here?
Its not Halloween, its July.
I go up to the girl and
try to talk to her.
As soon as I stand next to her
and touch her shoulder,
I hear the doors open.
I leave the girl outside and,
walk in. I hear the doors shut
behind me.
Suddenly, I see the same girl I
left outside. She’s pale and white.
Her eyes are red; her voice is high
She comes closer to me. I’m hit
on the back of the head. I fall to
my knees and see pitch black.
Ms. Bell’s 6th Grade
Group 2
Passing Through Asgard
Karina B.
The sun shines bright, just
a little breeze passes
through Asgard.
Thor is stressing over
becoming king. Odin walks
back and forth, making the
castle tremble.
As I make my way across
the bridge, the sun begins
to fall and is replaced by
the moon.
Even the rainbow bridge
doesn’t outshine the stars.
Heimdall stands there
with a sword. His golden
eyes sharpening. “Time
to go back I see?” he says,
in a low voice.
Lightning strikes and I’m
home again.
Passing Through an Unknown Galaxy
Judah S.
Freezing below -50 in a
rusty spaceship that can
break at, my bones cold.
I’m scared to death.
Out the window, I see a lion
with one piercing stone gray
eye. I also see a seven legged
dog with devil horns and a
duck with eyes white as a
pearl.
I slowly fly away, the ship
creaking in the process, I
start to calm down, until
I take a glimpse out the
window.
Now I’m confused, the duck
is still following me.
I lie down and go to sleep.
Hours later I wake up. I
had witnessed a duck night
terror. I’m relieved to find
out it was only just a dream.
Until I see the duck hovering
over me. This time its eyes
are blood red. Jaws open.
Passing Through Egypt
Jasmine M.
Mother, Father, and
daughter are traveling
What a wonderful sight.
But I feel sick as ever.
My mother holds me
tight.
I begin to wonder about
Egypt. We land—I step
off the plane feeling hungry.
My mother and father glance
down at me with a smile.
Oh Father! Oh Mother what
is Egypt like?
Egypt is amazing. My Family
is here. There dogs and cats
everywhere.
The weather is 96 degrees
and the sun is shining on
on me. There is no grass
just sand.
My grandma hugs me.
Love is family and family
is love.
Ms. Bell’s 6th Grade
Group 3
Passing Through Unicornland
Isabella L.
Unicorns fly everywhere with
horns, fluffy tail, glittery hair
and colorful eyes.
On pink and white clouds
unicorns talk to each other
in English. Unicorn moms
bake cookies. Unicorn dads
work in cotton candy fields
On the rainbow bridge
unicorns come from other
places taking pictures.
Baby unicorns cry while
the kid unicorns play
in the park.
Why is Unicornland so awesome!
Passing Through History
Marco D.
I saw the Titanic sink.
World War II beginning.
The terror of the Nazis.
This was the 40’s the
“better” world.
Let’s go back a lot further
B.C.E. The Zhou Dynasty
of China. The rule of
Babylonia. The Roman
empire growing stronger.
This was the B.C.E, a time
of war.
4,000 years later and here.
we are. Have we changed?
Have we evolved? Is this
the modern world? Have
learned from our mistakes?
The answer is yes or no.
Time to decide.
Passing Through my Happy Place
Evelyn V.
My big art studio filled with
markers that smell good
and pencils. Erasers that
make “happy accidents.”
In the freezing room, the
window allows the summer
breeze to come in.
The warm sound of people
talking in my headphones.
Seeing kids play outside
gives me hope.
I love my place of isolation.
