Kids Rule!
The literature entries for PTA Reflections arrived yesterday. I’m judging the arts competition (literary portion only) at the state level this year, 128 entries K-12 in Maryland. One winner at each level goes on to compete nationally.
Looking at the stack of papers takes me back to my days teaching high school English.
Since I’ll be working on the entries, my kids are taking over today’s Poetry Friday post. Both have an original poem to share. One is a personification poem. The other is a metaphor poem. Enjoy!
The Runaway Cupcake
By NinjaGirl, Grade 3
(Inspired by Calef Brown’s poem, “The Runaway Waffle”)
Victaria bites Cupcake.
Cupcake dashes out the door.
Victaria jumps out of the seat,
and runs right after her.
Victaria runs and runs and runs.
Cupcake never stops.
Victaria starts to slow on down
and goes to a coffee shop.
So if you see a cupcake
running down the street,
you’ll know that it’s Victaria’s
deliciously sweet treat.
Victaria bites Cupcake.
Cupcake dashes out the door.
Victaria jumps out of the seat,
and runs right after her.
Victaria runs and runs and runs.
Cupcake never stops.
Victaria starts to slow on down
and goes to a coffee shop.
So if you see a cupcake
running down the street,
you’ll know that it’s Victaria’s
deliciously sweet treat.
My Family is a Snare Drum
By DJRobMan, Grade 6
(English Assignment: Family Metaphor Poem)
My family is a snare drum,
Playing its own beat.
All the parts work together
To make loud, exciting music.
My father is heads of the drum.
There can’t be any music without the heads.
Without the heads,
The drum would just be metal,
Incomplete.
My mother is the stand
Holding the snare drum up.
The stand always supports the drum.
It allows the sound to be clear.
My sister is the rim of the snare drum,
Strong, supportive, and confident,
Keeping the drum together.
If there was no rim,
The drum would fall apart.
My dog is the snares of the drum,
Loud when it is on,
Keeping the drum lively,
Connected to the switcher and the rim.
And I, I am the switcher,
Switching tones
By taking the snares on or off.
Taking the drum from deep tom-tom
To an active snare.
These parts of a snare drum
All work together
To make loud, exciting music
That makes my heart pound.
"Pound?" My heart's about to burst, I'm so proud. While I get out my tissues, visit Suzanne at Adventures in Daily Living for more Poetry Friday offerings.
My mother is the stand
Holding the snare drum up.
The stand always supports the drum.
It allows the sound to be clear.
My sister is the rim of the snare drum,
Strong, supportive, and confident,
Keeping the drum together.
If there was no rim,
The drum would fall apart.
My dog is the snares of the drum,
Loud when it is on,
Keeping the drum lively,
Connected to the switcher and the rim.
And I, I am the switcher,
Switching tones
By taking the snares on or off.
Taking the drum from deep tom-tom
To an active snare.
These parts of a snare drum
All work together
To make loud, exciting music
That makes my heart pound.
"Pound?" My heart's about to burst, I'm so proud. While I get out my tissues, visit Suzanne at Adventures in Daily Living for more Poetry Friday offerings.
WOW, WOW, WOW! I'd be proud if these were my kids too! A whole family of poets!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carol. My little girl had so much fun writing & illustrating her poem. My son sometimes struggles with writing, so this poem was a major achievement!
ReplyDeleteWhat creative children! I love that that mother is the support of the snare drum!
ReplyDeleteDontcha love that mom = stand? I wonder if my guy realizes how suggestive the line, "It allows the sound to be clear" is.
ReplyDeleteGreat great great! Thanks for sharing these. The cupcake one is as sweet as a...well...cupcake. As for your son's, he nails it on the head how a kid can be the "switcher" of an entire family's mood (somehow, especially, boys?). Inspired.
ReplyDeleteoops--I wasn't trying to make a pun with the nail on the head thing. Bad, bad cliche.
ReplyDeleteThose are really fabulous, and such a compliment to you and your family. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteJennifer -- it was an apt pun. Our son has always been the switcher in the family. His moods are *big* -- good and bad.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks, Jennifer. I'll pass along the compliment. All those silly ABBA parodies we've made up together, I've got to think it's paid off!
Very Nice
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed!
Laura, I so enjoyed reading the poems by your children. NinjaGirl's has a great beat to it and how wonderful it is to see a 6th grade boy who can make such connections using a poetic form. I love that he uses a musical instrument to represent your family!
ReplyDeleteThe snare drum was the kid's idea. He wasn't sure whether it would work, but we told him to go for it. He's been playing snare/percussion at school for three years, so it's "Write what you know."
ReplyDeleteMy daughter's poem takes its beat from Calef Brown's original, but I'm impressed that she hears rhythm so well.
As a snare drummer and mom: I love your kids' poems. Oh, Fantabulous!
ReplyDeleteHey, Yat-Yee. Thanks for the comment. The local middle school has a great music progam. I hope he sticks with percussion. I wish I'd kept up the instruments I played as a kid (piano & flute).
ReplyDeleteI like your poem. Can I include it in one of my research papers even just some of it?
ReplyDeleteHenry -- I'm need more information from you. Please send me an email at mrspoems@gmail.com with some specifics about which poem you want to use and how it will be used in your research paper. Thanks!
ReplyDelete