On February 10, Haines after-school poetry group spent time wondering and asking questions after reading Langston Hughes’ poem “If-ing Around,” and “Whatif” by Shel Silverstein. Langston Hughes’ poem is written in the voice of someone imagining what he would do if he had “some small change,” or “some greenbacks,” or “a million;” and ends by saying “just by If-ing/I have a good time!” Shel Silverstein’s poem uses personification to imagine whatifs as creatures that crawl inside one’s ear, asking questions like “whatif I’m dumb in school?” Students brainstormed their own lists, wondering “what if…?”
Brooklynn T.
what if a rock could fly?
what if rain could wear shorts?
what if a tree could cry?
what is the sun could shake hands?
what if trees can teach?
what if a piece of paper can kill?
what if a ball can teach math?
what if a ball can see rain?
what if words can learn?
what if fish can drown?
Noah C.
what if I could fly a rock?
what if I could pause time to talk to animals?
what if I could talk to aliens?
what if I could build a talking light bulb?
what if a desk can build a house?
what if rain could build a house?
what if a rabbit can jump into the room?
what if a pencil sharpener could talk?
what of a book bag could talk?
Peiqi C.
what if a rock can laugh?
what if a wall can talk?
what of a chair could jump?
what if a tree could sing?
what if pens can drink water?
what if a car can eat nuts?
what if a duck could duck?
what of a house can dodge?
what if shirts can shiver?
Jaxon M.
what if a rock had wings and could fly?
what if pencil boxes eat pencils?
what if a tree can talk?
what if sunshine could do a handstand?
what if a car can talk?
what if tape used shoes?
what if sounds are visible?
what if tape can eat tomatoes?
what if headphones had eyes?
what if paper had arms?
Chun
what if a computer could jump?
what if games talk with me?
what if a shoe could wax its ear?
what if rain could breathe?
what if shirts talks to dogs?
what if pencils could kiss?
what if ice cream could sing?
what if math could walk?
what if a tree could laugh?
what if clouds were stinky?
what if socks could go to college?
what if eye glasses eat?
