Category Archives: national poetry month

09

Apr. ’12

Wake Up

Dr Pepper bottle

Image via Wikipedia

(inspired by Anis Mojgani’s “Direct Orders”)

Wake up like there’s no tomorrow

Wake up like you’ve had a bad dream

Wake up like there’s a tiger racing after you

Wake up like the sky is falling

Wake up like your house is on fire

Wake up like you’re being chased down the street

Wake up like you’re Batman beating the Joker

Wake up like you’re late for basketball practice

Wake up like you didn’t finish your homework

Wake up like you’re ready to start the day

Wake up like you’re happy to see your friends

Wake up before you fall back to sleep

Wake up like you have a fridge full of Dr. Pepper

Wake up like it’s time for the cheer competition

Wake up like the universe is ending and

you only have one chance to be yourself.

By Alyssa, age 11

Click the link (above) to listen to the poem read on KPFT radio by Laura Anawaty (4th grade) and Jacob Goins (2nd grade) from Parker Elementary.
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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.

Posted by . Categories: creativity, imagination, inspiration, national poetry month, poem a day, poetry, student, writer, writers in the schools, writing. Tags: , , , , , . 1 Comment

06

Apr. ’12

La mariposa/The Butterfly

photo by Flat Cat Designs - click to see more

Un día vi una mariposa.

Yo me asomé por la ventana, y me salí de la casa.

Yo quería agarrar esa mariposa tan bella.

Corrí y tomé mi bicicleta para poder atraparla.

Después me subí a un avión para poder atraparla.

Luego la toqué y se sintió suave. Pude oler un rico perfume.

Yo escuché a la mariposa que seguia volando.

Mi corazon se sintió feliz de ver a la mariposa rosada tan bella.

Por eso me sentí contenta y feliz.

~

One day I saw a butterfly.

I looked out the window, and I went out of the house.

I wanted to catch the butterfly, it was so beautiful.

I ran and took my bicycle to try to catch it.

After that I went up in an airplane to try to catch it again,

then I touched the butterfly which felt so soft. I was able

to smell a magnificent perfume.

I heard the butterfly that continued to fly.

My heart felt happy to see the pink butterfly so beautiful.

For all these things I felt so content and happy.

By Emily, Kindergarten

Click the link (above) to listen to the poem read on KPFT radio by Chase Hayes and Van Logan Garcia, 4th grade students from Parker Elementary.
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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.

Posted by . Categories: animal, national poetry month, nature, poem a day, poetry, student, writer, writers in the schools. Tags: , , , , . Leave a comment

05

Apr. ’12

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.

Posted by . Categories: creativity, family, food, Holidays, inspiration, national poetry month, poem a day, poetry, student, writer, writers in the schools, writing. Tags: , . Leave a comment

04

Apr. ’12

Lily Pads

I like the lily pads that float on the pond

Green with a touch of pizzazz

The lily pad is the only one who has a heart

It spreads its magical beauty with its pinky petals

They come in all shapes and sizes

One is purple, a small sliver like a broken heart

It is a beautiful thing to look at in winter

by Alvara, 4th grade

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

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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.

Posted by . Categories: creativity, inspiration, national poetry month, nature, poem a day, poetry, student, writer, writers in the schools, writing. Tags: , , , , . Leave a comment

03

Apr. ’12

The Silent World

Painting by Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980)

(inspired by a poem by Jeffrey McDaniel)

The government has decided

to only allow us 167 words per day.

Nobody hears me.

The only one who hears me is my Grandma

because it’s silent, and she’s the one who sits with me.

And at school there is touching but not talking,

just making hand signals.

I feel like I’m not on the planet.

And when I get home nobody is talking.

I want to save my words for my Grandma

because she is so sweet.

I would like to tell her, “I love you.

You are my soul. You are my sky.”

By Natalia, 3rd grade

Click the link (above) to listen to the poem read on KPFT radio by Marin Hart, a 4th grader from Parker Elementary.

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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.

Posted by . Categories: creativity, imagination, national poetry month, poem a day, poetry, student, writer, writers in the schools, writing. Tags: , , , , . Leave a comment

01

Apr. ’12

A Landscape of Differences

Landscape sketch

Landscape sketch (Photo credit: Johan92100)

Today I am different.

As I view an ant on a gentle leaf,

I feel as if I am strangely different.

I feel like the ant is normal, like

doing homework.

The paper would be a magnificent landscape

with ink and lead to be its grass and trees.

As the grass grows, the pencil works harder and

the same for shimmering green trees with

the red and fiery cardinals.

The spring brings flowers up like me on

a trampoline, the winter brings snowflakes like

a man that is parachuting, the summer brings

the sun like a giant fireball, and the fall

brings leaves like a blockade of fiery arrows.

As this beautiful paper world grows, I become

more unlike my past self. This is

always meaning that when my imagination

grows, everything grows with it.

By Alex, 5th grade

Click the link (above) to listen to the poem read on KPFT radio by Helen Huneycutt, a 4th grader from Parker Elementary.

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.

Posted by . Categories: art, imagination, inspiration, national poetry month, nature, writers in the schools, writing. Tags: , , , , . Leave a comment

30

Mar. ’12

Public Poetry Readings

Writers in the Schools (WITS) loves Public Poetry, and we know you do too!  Please read the latest from our friends at Public Poetry. Go to the readings and hear WITS students read their work alongside accomplished poets.  Read the invitation below and mark your calendars:

We’re celebrating our 1st anniversary and National Poetry month in a big way with two events in the month of April. Look for poets downtown at the newly restored Julia Ideson Building, across from Central Branch Library, onSaturday, April 7, at 2 PM, and more poets again at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Brown Auditorium two weeks later, on Saturday, April 21, at 3 PM.

We’re delighted to confirm that Houston Mayor, Annise Parker, will be joining us as the special guest of honor for the Public Poetry library reading series. Last year, our Poet Mayor read one of her own compositions and also selected My Parents Watch the July Fourth Parade by Richard Beban. We’re eagerly anticipating her additions to the April 7 program, where featured poets –Mike Alexander, Janet Lowery, Jeremyah Payne/The Fluent One and Claire Kageyama-Ramakrishnan – will be reading. Noted architectural historian, Stephen Fox, will also be speaking briefly about this special library building.

Since Fall 2011, we’ve been telling you about the ARTlines ekphrastic poetry competition in collaboration with The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.  On April 21, we reveal the winning poems at a special museum event.  There will also be contributions from the jurors – three Texas Poets Laureate among them –docent led tours and a museum reception.  And, poetry will continue to have a presence at the MFAH on their web site, on wall labels and as a cell phone audio stop.   See ARTlines tab (next to Community Links) for additional details.

The public is welcome at both events.  The library event is free, and the museum program is free with general museum admission.

See you there!

Posted by . Categories: event, Houston, national poetry month, poetry, Reading, spoken word, student, writers in the schools. Tags: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

29

Mar. ’12

A Poem a Day, As You Like It

April is almost here. This year there are more ways than ever to get your daily poem.  Pick your favorite. Celebrate National Poetry Month your way.

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Posted by . Categories: education, Houston, national poetry month, poem a day, writers in the schools. Tags: , , , . 1 Comment

15

Mar. ’12

Sign Up for A Poem a Day in April!

Writers in the Schools (WITS) celebrates National Poetry Month locally through bookmarks, public readings, and our email campaign, A Poem  A  Day.

Through this project, WITS will email a child’s poem each weekday during the month of April. If you subscribe to our blog, A Poem A  Day,  you know how inspirational it is to open your email or RSS feed each morning and be surprised by the words of children as young as 5 years.

All poems featured in A Poem A Day are written by students in grades K-12 who have participated in the WITS program. If you have a friend who appreciates the written word as much as you do, suggest they subscribe or sign up for a poem in April by clicking this link.

Be on the lookout in the coming days for ways you can share poetry with children all month long.  Here are the words of WITS student Quondaijah, a fifth grader, in honor of National Poetry Month:

We understand the sky

and see, laugh,

and love poetry.

Posted by . Categories: event, national poetry month, poem a day, poetry, writers in the schools. Tags: , . Leave a comment

04

May. ’11

Farewell, Poetry Month 2011

ad_one_poem-copy-color

Thank you for participating in A Poem A Day with Writers in the Schools (WITS). We hope that you have enjoyed reading these poems by WITS students during April, National Poetry Month. If you enjoyed this project, here are some options for staying in the WITS “loop” throughout the year:

Thank you for participating in A Poem a Day with the Writers in the Schools (WITS). We hope that you have enjoyed reading these poems by WITS students during National Poetry Month. If you enjoyed this project, here are some options for staying the the WITS “loop”:
Please leave comments on your favorite poems on the WITS blog. The students will really appreciate your positive feedback.
Add the WITS blog to your bookmarks or feed reader.
Send a kid to summer camp.
If you live anywhere else, look up a similar program in your area.
If you’d like to make a donation to keep the Writers in the Schools programs growing and reaching as many Houston-area youth as possible, please click here.
We would like to thank the Houston Arts Alliance, the City of Houston, the Houston Chronicle, the Houston Public Library, and the Texas Commission on the Arts for sponsoring A Poem A Day 2008.
Thank you for celebrating National Poetry Month with WITS. Stay tuned to this blog for more writing from WITS students, writers, and staff.Thank you for participating in A Poem a Day with the Writers in the Schools (WITS). We hope that you have enjoyed reading these poems by WITS students during National Poetry Month. If you enjoyed this project, here are some options for staying the the WITS “loop”
  • Please leave comments on your favorite poems on the WITS blog. The students will really appreciate your positive feedback.
  • Add the WITS blog to your bookmarks or feed reader.
  • Become a fan of WITS on facebook.
  • Send your child to our creative writing summer camp.
  • If you’d like to make a donation to keep the Writers in the Schools programs growing and reaching as many Houston-area youth as possible, please click here.
We would like to thank the Houston Arts Alliance, the City of Houston, the Houston Public Library, and the Texas Commission on the Arts, for sponsoring A Poem A Day 2011.
A very special thanks goes to the staff at KPFT  90.1 FM, Sharpstown High School Principal Robert Gasparello, his students, their teachers, and producer Susan Phillips for featuring the poems on the radio each weekday, a few of which you can hear by clicking the following links:

The rockin’ readers were:

Jerrell Hill, 10th grade
Princillar Agyapong, 12th grade
Gloria Johnson, 12th grade
Kori Walker, 11th grade
Joseph Butler, 12th grade
Alyssa Arteaga, 12th grade
Jonas Aguero, 12th grade
Ana Sanchez, 12th grade
Aryani Peres, 11th grade
Hazel Kate Camat, 12th grade
Torrin Guillory, 9th grade
Jorge Aguero, 12th grade
Darnell Anderson, 11th grade
Jaron Barnes, 12th grade
Ronny Ellison, 11th grade
Demetrick Miller, 12th grade
Starlesha Basha, 11th grade
Concepcion Cisneros, 12th grade
Keidra Gartica, 12th grade
Kalari Faultry, 12th grade
Juana Rodriguez, 11th grade
Deondra Walters, 10th grade

Visit this blog year-round for more writing from WITS students, writers, and staff. Remember, every month is poetry month on the WITS blog. Get your daily poem and be reminded of the finer things in life.

Posted by . Categories: Houston, national poetry month, poetry, student, writers in the schools. Tags: , , , , , , . 1 Comment

29

Apr. ’11

Zeus


You are the leafless trees
That refuse to shade me
You are the dark, looming sky
That strikes fear into the hearts of many

However, you are not the snow-capped mountains
With immense beauty
The clouds that run over them
They are not you

You are a goddess
Serving Zeus
But I am Zeus
Ruling the world

I am the glaring eyes of the deer you made into a trophy
And, I am the tall, powerful mountain
That overlooks your tiny home

Don’t worry though
You can still be the insignificant trees
Of which I have thousands
The sky, which I pierce with my lightning
Whose heart this poem touches

by  Julian, 10th grade
[photo by Jason Arends via flickr]

This poem (originally published 6/10/10)  is featured as part of the 2011 A Poem A Day campaign, a National Poetry Month celebration by WITS that features a different poem by a WITS student every day during April. Click on the logo to learn more.

Posted by . Categories: national poetry month, poem a day, poetry, student, writers in the schools. Tags: , . Leave a comment

28

Apr. ’11

Ode to Poetry

O poem, you bring light

to my dark world.

O poem, you open my mind

to different things.

O poem, your words of wisdom

are like a saint.

O poem, you bring the gift of laughter

to my family and me.

O poem, each time I read you

you give me a chance in the spotlight.

O poem, when I read you,

it’s like I read God’s

spiritual mind.

O poem, you are like a chipmunk

wandering in the wild.

by Jose, 4th grade

This poem  is featured as part of the 2011 A Poem A Day campaign, a National Poetry Month celebration by WITS that features a different poem by a WITS student every day during April. Click on the logo to learn more.

Posted by . Categories: national poetry month, ode, poem a day, poetry, writers in the schools. Tags: . Leave a comment

27

Apr. ’11

Querida hermanita (Dear Little Sister)

Querida hermanita,
tu cabello es tan brillante
como las estrellas.
Tus manos son tan suaves
como las plumas de los pájaros.
Tus ojos son tan claros
como el agua del mar,
y tus labios son tan rojos
como las rosas.
Tus orejas tienen aretes
que parecen como joyas amarillas,
muy brillantes.
Tu sonrisa es tan blanca
como una perla,
y tu ropa parece como un arcoíris.
Tú eres tan valiente
como el fuego,
y corres tan rápido
como el chita.
Tú eres tan buena
que yo te daría todo mi amor,
como tú me lo diste a mí,
y te daría todas las perlas
que encuentre en el fondo del mar.
~
Dear little sister,
Your hair is very shiny
like the stars.
Your hands are so soft
like the feathers of the birds.
Your eyes are so clear
like the water in the sea,
and your lips are so red
like the roses.
Your ears have earrings that look like
yellow jewels,
very shiny.
Your smile is so white
like a pearl,
and your clothes look like a rainbow.
You are so brave
like the fire,
and you run so fast
like the cheetah.
You are so nice that
I would give you all my love,
like the way you gave it to me,
and I would give you all the pearls
that I could find in the bottom of the sea.

by Camila, 2nd grade
[photo by Just Megan via flickr]

This poem (originally posted on 8/10/2010) is featured as part of the 2011 A Poem A Day campaign, a National Poetry Month celebration by WITS that features a different poem by a WITS student every day during April. Click on the logo to learn more.

Posted by . Categories: national poetry month, poem a day, poetry, Spanish, student, writers in the schools. Tags: , , , . 1 Comment

26

Apr. ’11

Where It’s Quiet

I come from
the dog that barks
in my neighbor’s backyard.
I come from
the noise of the hurricane
in 2008 when
many things were
crushed.
I come from
the clouds
in the middle of the sky.
I come from
a tree in the middle
of the world
where it’s quiet.

by Jonathan, 2nd grade

Photo by angus clyne via Flickr

This poem is featured as part of the 2011 A Poem A Day campaign, a National Poetry Month celebration by WITS that features a different poem by a WITS student every day during April. Click on the logo to learn more.

Posted by . Categories: animal, national poetry month, nature, place, poem a day, poetry, self-portrait, writers in the schools. 1 Comment

25

Apr. ’11

Let Sunrise Come

Let the night’s darkness
turn into the light of the sunrise.
Let it shine through
the windows of houses, buildings,
and barns.
Let the farmers start milking,
let the clouds float in.
Let sunrise come.
Let the children flood
into school.
Let the babies make messes
with their breakfast.
Let sunrise come.
To the lazy cats,
to the active puppies,
to the croaking frogs,
let sunrise come.
Let the roosters call
cock-a-doodle-doo as everyone
wakes up to their alarms.
Let it come
and let it be bright,
let sunrise come.

by Claire, 3rd grade

Photo by Jason A. Samfield via Flickr.

This poem is featured as part of the 2011 A Poem A Day campaign, a National Poetry Month celebration by WITS that features a different poem by a WITS student every day during April. Click on the logo to learn more.

Posted by . Categories: animal, inspiration, national poetry month, nature, poem a day, poetry, writers in the schools. 2 Comments