Red

Red reminds me of madness
Red reminds me of the sunset
Red reminds me of when friends get frustrated
Red reminds me of Santa Claus
Red reminds me of Santa Claus’ Hat
Red reminds me of love
Red reminds me of how me and Aven are friends together
Red reminds me of pugs
Red reminds me of red lips
Red reminds me of teddy bears


Brentwood Elementary

K

Christmas

Christmas is the happiest time of the year
It is full of fun and good cheer
You never are sad
You should be very glad
That you made it throughout the year

Christmas is the cherry on the cake
We all want to meet santa
But that’s not always a choice
Hopefully you’re on the nice list
Or you won’t be getting your new dog

All your family comes to your home
To celebrate the good year
And maybe this year you will want a comb
And if you want to make your dad happy
you could buy him some… Dr. Pepper


Gorzycki Middle School

7

Somewhere Far From Home

Sometimes the sun
is too bright
And too far
To follow.

Sometimes a rose
Is too small
And too pitiful
To pick.

And sometimes I see better
By the light of the moon
And dance easier
On the green, green grass.

When I look up I’d like
To see stars and a sky
So dark it could
Swallow me whole.

And when I lay still
I hear crickets
Wondering aloud
If they’ll ever get home.


Fulmore Middle School

8

One with the City

Light fog above the dawning horizon
Like steam slowly rising from my coffee
Stationary on the table
As I look out at the slowly rising sun.

Later, I’ll wander small alleys and crowded markets
As the sun shines above me glistening
The streets and the water
Like a melting pot of old and new.

My eyes will light the scene
Of freshly baked pastry in windows,
Museum masterpieces right there
While people live their daily lives here.

It feels like home to sit and drink coffee
And imagine the place I’ve never lived
But have always loved.

With art, language, and nature
With beauty, strangers, and myself.


Fulmore Middle School

8

The First Time

3:49pm
Almost time
For me to meet
My parents.

The more I see
The signs the more
Nervous I get, butterflies
In my stomach
Like I really need a restroom.

A man introduces us
And I look around the house
So many beautiful colors
Blue, yellow, green
Everything was new
Everything I wanted.

The best part: windows
To see the bright blue sky
And the green lemon tree
Outside, the best view.

It smelled like paint,
But in a good way
All this time
They lived in Texas
And I lived in Mexico,
Separated for so long.

The next day
I tried pancakes
For the first time,
So weird and chewy,
But also soft and sticky
With syrup on top.

Everyone wanted to meet me
And my brother
And it was loud
But I knew it was
The right place for me.


Fulmore Middle School

8

Good Game

I hear a “thump” as I bump
The ball beautifully over the net.
I hear “mine” as the other team
Runs for the ball. I watch, waiting.
I hear her foot kick the floor
Slow motion to the ground.
Loud “oohs” come from the crowd
And cheers when she gets up.
The ball rolls over “titter tatter”
And it’s my turn to serve,
Hands shaking I hear my heart
Beating as I bounce the ball
“Wham” as it nicks the net
But goes over.
Back and forth until I hear
A whistle blow and the slap
Of high-fives as the phrase
rings in my ear:
Good game
Good game
Good game.


Fulmore Middle School

8

Down the Riverbend

Change
Happens slowly
One drop, then two
Eventually hundreds, thousands
All coming down from the sky.

One hits a rock
Bounces off
Onto the ground
Wanders a little farther
And stops
Another follows
Then another
In a year, there will be
A small groove
Running through the ground
Filling with more water
When it rains.

A century passes
River taking shape
As every drop of water
Bends the land around it.

It takes time
For the river
To grow strong
Water rushes
Flows
Glides
Down the riverbend.


Fulmore Middle School

8

Walking the Dog

On the hot cement sidewalks
Where the pitter patter of their paws
And the clinking of their nails
Creates a constant rhythm
Announcing “wer’re coming!”

The sun follows us, beats down
Oppressive and still
As if it were watching us
High up from space
And as we walk, time feels
Stretched like a rubber band.

Until our house comes into view
In the distance
And so does the end of our walk.


Fulmore

8