Creative Writing

Over the past semester I have had the amazing opportunity of teaching Middle School Creative Writing. Much of teaching writing has turned out to be instilling confidence in children who are at an age of uncertainty. It's hard for an 11 year old girl to believe that she has a voice and that it matters. I spent a lot of time yesterday compiling the poems that the students have written during our poetry unit. What I've been doing is teaching a poem and then using that poem as a platform into their own writing (see Rose, Where Did You Get That Red by Kenneth Koch). I wanted to post some of the work that my students have been doing...I'll start with a link to the starter poem if anyone is interested in reading, and then put some student examples.


Biblical Point of View Poem: No example here, but I asked the students to put themselves in the shoes of a Bible character and write a poem.


The Innkeeper—Melany Sanchez (from The Good Samaritan story)

You did what?
Are you out of your mind?
“Look after him,” you say.
When you first came
I would have refused.
But seeing the gentleness and love
In your eyes,
In your acts,
In everything you’ve done,
Has made the word “no” difficult to find
Everyday as I saw you take care of him,
As I heard his groans of pain,
You impressed me
How could you help your enemy?
How can you love a complete stranger?
Now…as you leave,
Asking me to care for him,
All I have to say is,
“Don’t you worry, he’s in good hands.”


If Only—Eleanor Cabrera

If only I could touch the border of your mantle
If only I could see your face
If only I could touch your hands
I would be free, I know it.

If only I could touch the border of your mantle
If only I could hear your voice
If only I could get near you
I would be free, I know it.

All I want is to be free from this sickness
All I want is to be accepted
All I want is to be loved

Please Lord, heal me.



Concrete/Abstract: See Emily Dickinson's Hope is a Thing with Feathers http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=171619

Frustration, the Evil Cat—Hannah Slingerland

Frustration prowls and growls waiting for
A chance to leap and catch you, the mouse.
Frustration hides in the shadows
Cautiously waiting for your smile to fade
Frustration’s long agile legs attack
And snatch you with a wisp of a tail
Frustration is crafty and meows
For the day to come to get you, the mouse.
Frustration is mysterious, it comes
And goes and disappears
Frustration will hold on after
Hard times have left and are gone
Frustration won’t let you go if you
Let it snatch you with a wisp of a tail
Beware, Frustration is on its way
And if you don’t watch out, it will
Catch you, the mouse, forever and ever.

Perseverance—Kum Ji Yoon

Perseverance is the one that shines
So good and bright
That it eliminates the dark
To brighten up your lives.

Perseverance is the one that comforts
Touches your face
With such a warm, gentle light
To reach the goal of your dreams.

Everywhere I go
I see it right there
Shining upon me
Always there for me.

Descriptive Poems: See Wallace Stevens 13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird and Someone Puts a Pineapple Together http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=174503

Ways of Looking at a Baseball—John Leckrone

I
As shrunken head
Bearing a long, curved scar

II
A swift white dove
Trying to escape the bird catchers’ nets

III
An autograph book
Filled with many heroes

IV
A Barbie
Dressed with a large assortment of clothes

V
A rocket taking off
Landing on a good smelling planet

VI
A boxer who’s lost his match
Only to be replaced by a fresh fighter

VII
A museum’s keepsake
Reminding us of history

VIII
A pitcher’s paycheck
Hogged selfishly

IX
A Native American’s instrument
Under much superstition

X
Jesus being driven to a roaring crowd
His friends are downcast.

An Overhead Projector—Amanda Agrellas

1. A snake, coiled and about to spring
2. A little robot, scuffling around with one big eye
3. A dancing platform with a light-up floor
4. A crane, lifting piles of dust from the ground
5. A dragon, breathing fire from its mouth
6. A spotlight, shining upon a theatre stage
7. A puppy, jumping across the road

***I'm leaving it there for now because I've lost this same post about 4 times. More to come on school updates and a recent trip to El Salvador!