Texas writer Sandra Cisneros provided much inspiration for these students to imagine what would happen if their hair came alive and acted like a human—or could even make sounds. Based on her book House on Mango Street, Cisneros’s short chapter, “Hairs,” motivated the Wells Branch gang to start writing. I loved how they went into joyful or very dark expressions about the colors of emotions. What fun fiction or personal creations came from our free writing day!
I want to say special thanks to the handful of very brave writers who stood up before an audience to share their work on our final day. It takes imagination and willingness to write—it calls for amazing courage to share one’s work with others.
Terri Schexnayder
Badgerdog Teaching Artist
My Yellow Poem
Walking down the street—not feeling blue.
I’m super happy. Why aren’t you?
Going through the flower field,
in my eye vision all I see is yellow.
I’m not feeling blue or green.
In my mind, all I see is yellow.
Michael
How to Make Bacon, Egg and Cheese
First, you need a frying pan. Then you turn on the stove. You need to put oil in the pan before you do anything.
Add an egg, if just for one. It is better to put three eggs in for more. Then, immediately add cheese, and once it bubbles, add in the bacon and keep stirring it until you think it’s just right.
Scrape your breakfast out of the pan, put it in a bowl, and dig in. It tastes so good!
That’s how you make bacon, egg, and cheese.
Nathan
Frizzy Family
My hair is like a pogo stick,
bouncing up, down, and all around.
My brother’s hair is like brownies.
It is a tasty shade of brown.
My uncle’s hair is like a blanket,
soft and long.
My cousin’s hair is like a jump rope,
straight and long.
My mom’s hair is like snakeskin,
long and silky.
My friend’s hair is like Jack Frost’s.
It’s dry and sticks out.
Jazlynn Cyphers
How to Make a Bracelet
If you want to make a single bracelet or a fishtail bracelet, you might think it’s hard. But it’s actually easy. This is how you make it.
You put one rubber band bracelet on and then you put on another one. This might be hard, like cooking a five-course meal, but you should try it because you will get better with practice.
Maliyah
Family Hair
Everyone in our family has different hair.
My dog Rocky has hair like a smooth blanket.
My dog Minnie’s hair is like brownies—brown.
My mom’s hair smells like tacos.
My brother’s hair is like the waves—dark brown.
I love my family’s hair.
Rosemary
Sun Chips
Sun Chips are the best things in the world. When I first tried them, I wanted three dozen until I was full. That’s how much I like Sun Chips!
Every time I go to the store, I want to get them. There are all kinds of Sun Chips, and my favorites are the cheddar-flavored ones.
Jacobie
My Dark Thought
When I’m black,
I am like a goldfish alone
at the bottom of the sea.
When I’m black,
I am a horrid hole filled with
nothing but darkness and hatred.
When I’m black,
I am like a billion crows
covering the blazing sun.
When I’m black,
I am a giant crack in the Earth
that has spikes at the bottom of it.
So when I’m black,
You better stay back!
Kenneth
Puppies
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
Puppies are cute
and I think you are, too.
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
Puppies are sweet,
and so are you.
Skylor
Takis
Takis are sometimes hot.
They are red like burning fire.
Takis will be the center of our party.
Takis are good with anything—even bacon!
Makayla Hawthorne
My Hair
My hair smells like gel.
When I ride my bike, it flows without any care.
My hair is as smooth as silk.
It is a blanket with no guilt.
If I ever tasted my hair,
it would never compare…
to strawberries.
Zoey
Feeling
Green is my color for happy.
Sky blue stands for sad.
Yellow is my color for bravery
because I will be shining bright.
Red is my mad color.
White is my perfect color.
Black is my worst color.
Pink is a so-so color.
Rainbow is a mix of every feeling.
So that’s mine. What is yours?
Secilia Jaimes
Orange
When I feel orange
I feel delighted, like a fat kid in a candy store.
Orange makes me glad, like a feasting kitten.
Red makes me mad like a guard dog.
Blue makes me serious, like a lion catching prey.
When I feel navy, I am delirious out of my mind!
When I am yellow, I feel curious like a newborn baby.
Evan
My Family’s Hairy Heads
My hair is like a monkey,
flipping and flopping tree to tree.
It’s always going to be red like an apple
and brown like dirt.
My mom’s hair is like a small bouncing ball.
It’s brown and red, just like mine.
Autumn Matula
My Thick Hair
My hair is thick like wool.
When I pass a dog, it barks: Rough, rough!
It smells like Febreeze house spray.
I think it’s blacker than the night sky
and very legit!
My hair acts like a car on a race track—
it is so happy!
I just love my hair the way it is.
Mariah
Fish Dancing
Once upon a time, there was a fish—but no ordinary fish.
Other fish were scared of him.
This fish could dance.
He could do the worm and also free dance.
Tommy
Hairs
Everybody in our family has unique hair. My papa’s hair is like a mop, all up in the air. And me—my hair is crazy. It never listens to rubber bands.
Makayla’s hair is thick and curly. She definitely needs it combed. Shayla’s hair is slippery and slides right out of your hand. My dog Sassy has hair like a person—all straight!
But my mother’s hair, my mother’s hair is like roses, like little peppermints, and curly and pretty like stars in the sky.
Steoun Sadler
The Adventure of Milo and Freddy
Once upon a time, there were two cats named Milo and Freddy. They snuck outside one night and were soon lost in the woods. Milo started to whimper.
Freddy said, “Don’t cry, Milo.”
“But I’m scared.”
“Come on, let’s see if we can get back,” Freddy said confidently (even though he was not).
They crept along the path for a while and then heard a dog bark. Milo jumped back in fear. “What was that?” she meowed.
“It’s just a dog, Milo.”
“What’s a dog?”
“A dog is one of our worst enemies. But if we stay away from it, we will be safe,” said Freddy.
Two hours later, they made it home. Milo and Freddy lived happily ever after, and they never went into the woods at night again.
Kaleigh Simpson
My Hair
My hair is really dark brown.
It is curly and thick.
My whole family has different types of hair—
colors, designs, and lengths.
The girls’ hair often gets tangled.
When my hair was long,
I washed it and it became wet and very curly.
My mom’s hair is long and straight.
My sister’s is just like mine.
I love my hair and so should you.
Anaya
My Mom’s Hair
My mom’s hair is like a hula-hoop.
I use her hair to spin around my waist.
Then it turns into a vacuum cleaner
and picks up the dirt—so she washes it.
But her hair is electric, so it zaps her.
Her hair becomes a big, old black-and-white monster,
like Frankenstein’s wife!
I tell her a knock-knock joke and
she gets mad.
My brother and I just laugh.
Ada
My Red Hot Lava Hair
My hair color is like red hot lava.
It acts like seaweed, growing one foot a day.
In the morning, it’s like a jungle—
you can’t find your way out!
My brother’s hair looks like an afro, except shorter.
My mom’s hair is just straight.
Gustavo
My Dream Boy
My dream boy
My dream boy
My dream boy
is going to have swag.
He is going to be fresh, cute, and fly.
My dream boy is going to have a dessert body.
He will have big muscles.
Donaysia
Secilia
Secilia was born on July 4, 2004. She began walking when she was only nine months old and started talking when she was one.
Secilia began school at Wells Branch at the age of three. When she was five, she met her friend Makayla. Later, she met me when she turned seven. But we ended up not being in the same class, so she did not talk to me anymore.
Secilia did not remember me.
Shayla
unbound 