The Dream Keeper

Bring me all of your dreams,

You dreamers,

Bring me all of your

Heart melodies

That I may wrap them

In a blue cloud-cloth

Away from the too-rough finger

Of the world.

--Langston Hughes

Published in Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes, 2006

Vacation

Ahhh Florida
long plane rides
it was all
a
surprise
Hot Hot beaches
burnt toes too
two big pools
shark attack games in the pool
oh no
crazy
Jack
late nights
pillow fights
vacation
vacation
now comes to an end
WOW
vacation!

~Hannah, Grade 4, Hanlon School

The Stars

See the brightness of the stars,

glowing stars!

They hover over earth,

the earth’s an artifact of nature,

just kick away the cars!

How they glow, glow, glow,

in the icy air at night,

and the heavens seem to twinkle

with a crystalline delight!

Giving light, light, light,

in the very darkest nights,

even helps people in their very deepest frights.

How they shine, shine, shine,

keeping all the earth’s time, time, time,

in a sort of runic rhyme

all from the stars

from the glowing, glowing, glowing of the stars!

~Philip, Grade 4, Sheehan School

Hail

Crash!

     Crash!

    The Hail Comes          D

                                       O

                                         W

                                             N

    It lands on my head

                Then I fall DOWN !!!

~Caitlin, Grade 4, Sheehan School

RAIN

 

Rain Rain

Go away

Come again another day

The sky is grey so I can’t play.

It makes me pout and scream and shout

Rain Rain

Go away

Inside I can’t stay.

Outside, I want to play.

Please come again another day.

~Ellen, Grade 4 Sheehan School

Bouncing Bubble Gum

Boing boing

Quick quick quick

Ow ow no one can hear me

I want to be a quiet piece of bubble gum

~Delaney, Grade 4, Sheehan School

Turtle,Turtle

Turtle, Turtle

Green and bright

Your tiny shell will hold your fright

Run, Run

As fast as you can

When you find your friend Dan

Play, Play

Your favorite game

Then do the same

~Meghan, Grade 4, Sheehan School

Airplane’s View

When you’re in an airplane

                    high

               up

          up

     are

you

houses are boxes and

     cars are

dots

humans are almost impossible

to see

buildings are toys

backyards look

inches long

 

only with

an airplane’s

view.

~Peter, Grade 4, Sheehan School

Pelican

 

Gliding across the ocean,

Five pelicans flap their wings,

Wing tip to wing tip.

 

Suddenly they head out to sea,

They dive into the water,

Scooping up fish in their pouched bills.

~Eamon, Grade 4, Sheehan School

Little Brothers

 

Little brothers are a pain,

I feel like sending him to Spain.

He’s a hopping jelly bean,

You know he is very mean.

That is little brothers,

I love them the way they are.

~Sabrina, Grade 4, Sheehan School

Ode to Horses

Running as fast as the wind,

Manes whipping,

Back and forth.

Sleek,

Beautiful colors,

Shining in the sun,

Chestnut,

Chocolate and,

Golden brown.

Their massive muscles,

Always moving.

Racing across racetracks,

Riders on their backs,

Grasping the reins,

In fear of falling,

Down,

     Down,

Down,

To the ground.

Waiting patiently for a burst of speed,

And then they’re off!!

Almost flying,

Across the air,

As they run forever,

Constantly in motion.

~Nataniah, Grade 5, Downey School

September

it rained in my sleep

and in the morning the fields were wet

 

I dreamed of artillery

of the thunder of horses

 

in the morning the fields were strewn

with twigs and leaves

 

as if after a battle

or a sudden journey

 

I went to sleep in summer

I dreamed of rain

 

in the morning the fields were wet

and it was autumn

 

--Linda Pastan

Published in The Invisible Ladder, 1996

Poem

As the cat

climbed over

the top of

 

the jamcloset

first the right

forefoot

 

carefully

then the hind

stepped down

 

into the pit of

the empty

flowerpot

--William Carlos Williams

Published in One Hundred Years of Poetry for Children, 1999