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The pedigree of honey

Does not concern the bee;

A clover, any time, to him

Is aristocracy.

--Emily Dickinson

Published in Poems for Youth, 1918

The Horse

As I pranced around the darkened meadow,

The one I had once called home.

I felt a black wave of sadness,

As my foals had left me to roam.

So many dreams that had not come true,

I felt them in that wave.

But the lovely meadow was no more,

For the men sent it to its grave.

It used to be so bright, so happy,

With not a drop of sadness.

The flowers numbered more than many,

The grass was sweet and lasting.

But now the men had found it.

They dug out all the vivid flowers,

They pulled the earth up by its roots.

The sweet grass was made all sour.

I dance through it once again,

The last time I would be here.

Then I shall leave for the sky,

My foals await me there.

~Helen, Grade 6, Thurston Middle School

The Octopus

Tell me, O Octopus, I beg,

Is those things arms, or is they legs?

I marvel at thee, Octopus;

If I were thou, I’d call me Us.

-Ogden Nash

Published in A Family of Poems, My Favorite Poetry for Children, 2005

Lemonade

Selling by the curb

Kids coming from all over

Fifteen cents a cup

--Rachel, Grade 6, Thurston Middle School

Published in  The Westwood Public Library’s 2008 Poetry Anthology

Just Magic

I can feel the gentle cool breeze, as it brushes on my cheek.

It feels magical as the flowers silently stare at me.

As the moon looks down,

and the crickets sing,

You have a feeling

It is going to be a magical night.

--Anusha, Grade 3, Sheehan School

Published in The Westwood Public Library’s 2008 Poetry Anthology

The Rider

A boy told me

if he roller-skated fast enough

his loneliness couldn’t catch up to him,

 

the best reason I ever heard

for trying to be a champion.

 

What I wonder tonight

pedaling hard down King William Street

is if it translates to bicycles.

 

A victory!  To leave your loneliness

panting behind you on some street corner

while you float free into  a cloud of sudden azaleas,

pink petals that have never felt loneliness,

no matter how slowly they fell.

--Naomi Shihab Nye

Published in A Family of Poems, My Favorite Poetry for Children, 2005

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