Category Archives: food

Red Triangle Piñata

photo by aroid via flickr

Me and my brother will hang

my red triangle piñata from a half-moon,

and I’ll punch it in.

It will sound like a song

when it breaks

and the candy melts out and falls on me

and then it drips on me

and feels like chocolate.

Inside are my cousins

jumping on the bed,

screaming so loud my brain

starts to scream.

And JD’s throwing a pass

to Josiah who passes it to me,

and I run for a touchdown

and do a Michael Jackson dance by myself.

With shiny black Jordans flying in the air,

I fly with them.

Inside the piñata

I will sit there with my family,

eating chicken nuggets

and nobody’s talking

because we’ll all be laughing.

By Daylen, 2nd grade


Click the link (above) to listen to the poem read on KPFT radio by Conner Duffey, a 2nd grader from Parker Elementary.
apad

This poem is featured as part of the 2012 A Poem A Day campaign, a National Poetry Month celebration by Writers in the Schools (WITS) that features a different poem by a WITS student every day during April. Click here to learn more.

Try It, You’ll Like It

One of our goals at Writers in the Schools is to get kids to LOVE reading and writing. This is easier with some students than others. And for our more reluctant writers, sometimes we have to venture out into their world, allowing them to have fun with their imaginations. For kids who thrive on fare such as Captain Underpants or Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, the challenge of writing a disgusting recipe or yucky menu is met with glee. Would you eat in this bistro?

Gross‐Out Menu

Drinks:
Wormy Water $.50
Maggot Margarita $2
Blueberry Booger Smoothie $1.50
Appetizers:
Moldy Mac‐&‐Cheese $10
Sautéed Spinach in Spit $15
Main Course:
Rubbish Ravioli $20
Mucus Meatloaf $20
Dessert:
Manure Chocolate Mousse $15

By Sasha, 3rd grade

My Heart Reminds Me

My heart reminds me of the time
when I saw a baby crying for its mommy’s milk.
My heart is filled with black nights with bats all around me.
My heart reminds me of the time I first learned to walk.
My heart is filled with red hearts telling me to follow my dreams.
My heart reminds me of the time I first tasted ramen noodle soup
and said, “It’s hot!”
My heart is filled with daisies that smell wonderful.
My heart reminds me of the time I first touched paper.
My heart is made out of pictures filled with happiness.

By Sierra, 2nd Grade

Oops II

Cover of "Oops!"

Cover of Oops!

Because of the crushed house,

Because of the pig,

Because of the glass of

Milk, because of the spinning

Saw, because of the rock,

The house fell down.

So they bought a new

House.                  They bought a car,

A porch swing,

They bought a grill, and they

Bought a TV.

The pig got on the porch swing,

Swung high,

And did, mistakenly,

Of course, crash the car; the car

Knocked the grill, dropped

The pork belly. Oops!

Then the TV showed reruns over

And over until the TV

Broke, so Oops!

A pig child came out

Of the house, and played with his sword

And he sliced the pole

That held             the new house

Together and the house

Fell down. Oops!

Everything happened

Because of the pig and the swing!

By Michelle, 3rd grade

Un Breve Paseo a Discovery Green ~ A Brief Trip to Discovery Green

Un Breve Paseo a Discovery Green

El cielo era azul como un lago. La tierra era negra como una cueva, y el hielo era blanco como una ventana. Sí, había hielo, y yo estaba patinando en Discovery Green. El sol brillaba como fuego. Yo pensé que no podía patinar, entonces me agarré del muro. ¡Shwoosh! ¡Yo sí podía patinar! Miré alrededor, y vi que estaba patinando más rápido que mi mamá y mi hermano. ¡Shwosh! ¡Shwash! ¡Shwush! Yo patinaba más y más rápido. ¡Woohooo! El hielo era un trueno.

¡Chapú! Me caí. Raspé todo el hielo, y mis pantalones estaban muy húmedos. Me pusé de pie, y pensé que aún no estaba todo terminado ahora. ¡Shwoosh! ¡Shwoosh! ¡Shwoosh! Iba yo patinando nuevamente, como un pájaro que vuela y divirtiéndome como en un rollercoaster. Pero todo llega a su fin, y nosotros dejamos de patinar.

Entonces salí a buscar donuts. Caminé hasta que vi un hombre vendiendo donuts. Olía delicioso a pastrie y a azúcar caliente. Mi mamá compró los donuts. Yo tenía tanta hambre que ¡Smack! Smack!, yo comía los donuts como un cerdito mientras gritaba mentalmente, “¡Deliciosos!” Había sido un largo día patinando, tanto que hasta lamí el azúcar de la bolsa de los muchísimos donuts que comimos.

¡Broom! !Broom!, Montamos al carro, que mi mamá encendía, y luego nos alejamos del Discovery Green. Un abrazo de mi hermano cerró un fantástico día, que ahora sí, llegaba a su fin.

Translation

A Brief Trip to Discovery Green

The sky was blue like a lake. The soil was black like a cave, and the ice was as white as a window. Yes, there was ice, and I was skating at Discovery Green. The sun was shining like fire. I thought that I couldn’t skate! So I held on to the wall. Shwoosh! Yes! I could skate! I looked around me, and I saw that I was skating faster than my mom and my brother. Shwosh! Shwash! Shwush! I was skating faster and faster. Woohooo! The ice was thunder.

Chapú! I fell, I scraped the ice, and my pants were very wet. I stood up, and I thought that not every­thing was finished yet. Shwoosh! Shwoosh! Shwoosh! I was back skating again, like a flying bird, and it was as fun as being in a rollercoaster. But everything comes to an end, and we stopped skating.

Then I went in search for donuts. I walked until I saw a man selling donuts. It smelled delicious, like patisserie and warm sugar. My mom bought the donuts. I was so hungry that Smack! Smack! I ate the donuts like a pig. “Delicious,” I was yelling mentally. It had been a long day, skating, so much that I ended up licking the left over sugar in the bag of the many donuts we had eaten.

Vroom! Vroom! We got in the car. My mom drove away from Discovery Green. A hug from my brother closed out a fantastic day that, at that moment, had come to an end.

By Joshua, 4th grade

Photo by Troy Burwell via Flickr

The Moon Rises

Close encounter

When the moon rises,
apples and pears start dancing,
and the spaghetti cries because it misses its sauce.

When the moon rises,
my stuffed bear dances with the puppy.
Then they all start dancing.
The blinds start moving and
singing.

When the moon rises,
the couches and chairs
talk to my mom as she cleans.

When the moon rises,
my pet bird, Pumpkin,
talks to my dad.
He also barks.
Then the T.V. falls asleep.
And snores.

When the moon rises,
the chairs and the swing
dance to the music
the trees make when the wind blows their branches.

When the moon rises,
the crows fly in the window of my tree house,
and they peck at the wooden wall
like woodpeckers looking for worms.

When the moon rises,
the Christmas ornaments
decorate the attic
when no one is looking.

When the moon rises,
the powders and lipstick
wake up the mirror.

But when the sun rises,
the lights flash,
and the day begins
all over again.

By Madison, 2nd grade

Photo by the National Archives UK via Flickr

Where I’m From

PC120080

Photo by kay.steiger via Flickr

I’m from the smell

of strawberry muffins

and blueberry waffles.

I’m from the sound

of the blue waves,

from missing my

cousin’s voice.

I’m from laughter

and every time

we chased him around.

I’m from the sweet

sunshine

that shines so bright.

I’m from Christmas

and nights when we

just have fun.

By Bria, 4th grade

Chocolate Ice Cream World

I wonder what kind of dog I will have.
I hear the ocean.
I see the beach.
I want Christmas to come.

I am kind.

I pretend Christmas is here.
I feel a thousand feet tall.
I touch winter’s snow.
I worry about my mom and dad.

I cry for my mom when she is sick.

I am kind.

I understand math and science.
I dream I am a superhero.
I fly 100 miles per hour!
I try my best.
I hope the whole world
will be made of chocolate ice cream.

I am kind.

By Alexander, 2nd Grade

Photo by wintersoul1 via Flickr

Christmas

christmas lights

Image by harold.lloyd via Flickr

I love hot chocolate

and when Christmas

lights light up the

Christmas tree

I love holiday

shopping and opening

presents and snow on

Christmas morning

I love the smell

of gingerbread men

when they come

hot out of the oven

I love to make

round snowmen

with big tummies

I love when

Christmas lights light

up the town tonight.

By Jenna, 4th Grade

 

Cooking Away

Photo by Maddy Lou via Flickr

I watch my mom
cooking away,
her mind full of delicious
recipes. I find
her face full of concentration;
my own, full of delight
at the sweet smells
wafting up my nose.
I watch hungrily as
she puts in the last
ingredient and stirs it with
a wooden ladle.
She scoops it out into
a small bowl and hands
it to me.
I take it greedily,
but eat it slowly,
each ingredient rubbing
on my tongue.

By Julia, 5th grade

A Hungry Dog at Thanksgiving

If I were the dog, at Thanksgiving I would say:

That chopped liver smells good.
I hope they drop some turkey.
I want to taste that.
I think I see dessert.
This is so noisy.
When is it going to be over?
I think I like everything here.
I will just jump on the table.
Ooooooooh cake.
I can fly like a bird. Whee!
I am invincible like a zombie.
Splat! Sorry about that.
Darn, that was strawberry icing.

By Benjamin, 2nd grade

Photo by Robert Terrell via Flickr

 

 

My Name is Memphis


I was born in Gamma’s house and every time I spend the
night there she wakes up and cooks me sausage and grits.
I have a nephew named Jaden who I play ball with. My
favorite things to do are eat, watch TV, and play video games
all day. My favorite video game is Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtle Smash Up and Spiderman 1. My favorite subject is
math because it’s easy. Last summer
I went to Camp Periwinkle,
Houston Space Center, and
Schlitterbahn. At Schlitterbahn there was a
pirate ship that drops water on you and makes you forget
everything, but it didn’t make me forget because I am
hydro-dynamically designed. It was awesome!

By Memphis,
Age 8

Photo by Brandt Williams via Flickr

Shooting Stars

I catch shooting stars with my tongue.
They feel like sharp needles in my mouth,
but taste like ice cream. I open
my mouth and a beam flashes out
into the night skies.

Shooting stars taste like chocolate
covered ice running down my throat
like an avalanche on a cold winter day.

Finally, it’s down my throat. You can
see a bright light in my stomach
and in the blink of an eye,
the light is gone.

By Maggie, 8th grade

Photo by IanAltamore via Flickr