Parent Leaving

TGIF! In celebration of National Poetry Month, here’s a poem by Ashton, a fourth grader in Ms. Rich’s class at Pioneer Crossing Elementary. Ashton writes a powerful and brilliant poem that tackles the difficult subject of losing a parent.

It will
be hard for
your parent to
leave. It will
take you a
long time to
see them.
You won’t see
them every
day. So that
is why I
think they
should stay
with their
families and so
that is why
it is not
fair that
they should
leave their
families and
they will not
do something
to let
them leave
all the
time.

 Ashton, fourth grade, Pioneer Crossing Elementary School

Dreams

In celebration of National Poetry Month, which is closely coming to an end, here is a wonderful poem by Edwin, a fourth grader in Mr. Yniguez’s class at Winn Elementary. Edwin dreams of being something else—a puppy, an elephant, a car—yet he accepts his reality, knowing  that all he will ever be is something which is  “made of bone.”

My Dreams

I’m touching
clouds, they’re blue and my
hand is made of bone
because the acid from the
cloud burned me. I’m
a restless boy. I’m
a puppy. My hand is still
made of bone. I’m
an elephant. My hand
is still made of bone.
I’m a car. It’s difficult
to be a car, I tell you all.
Why? OK, I’ll tell you all why—
because I have three tires
and my hand of bone.

Edwin, fourth grade, Winn Elementary School

Song

We have a short, yet sweet poem for you today in continuation of our celebration of National Poetry Month! Lindy is a fifth grader in Badgerdog instructor Alex Almeida’s workshop at Baty Elementary, and writes about singing a song that fulfills your heart’s desires.

Some said koalas could not sing
You can sing what your heart says.
Let your feelings tell your song.
Don’t let people tell you how it goes.

Lindy, fifth grade, Baty Elementary School

 

Alone

In celebration of National Poetry Month, here’s a poem by Owen, a fourth grader in Ms. Rodriguez’s class at Blackshear Elementary. Owen’s poem reminds us of some modernist literature—as he focuses on a feeling of alienation, despite being in a world full of people. He is acutely aware of his surroundings, highlighting details  that are normally overlooked.

The Day I Was Alone

The color of the sand is green, white, and red.
The texture is rough as a shell.
It is shaped like a football field,
as big as New York City,
as tall as the biggest building in the world.
And the thing that says not to pass
to the rock and sand
is cold.
This place feels cold and scary.
And the cars look lonely and haunted.
The light, if you touch it, feels
hot, and it will burn you to death.

Owen, fourth grade, Blackshear Elementary School

This Is a Sun

Happy Monday! Here’s another poem in celebration of National Poetry Month. This poem was written by Carlos, a fourth grader in Ms. Esbrand’s class at Oak Springs Elementary. Carlos paints a picture for us in his poem—one with a vast array of colors and images that are uniquely beautiful and chilling at the same time.

With red fire around it
and a red blanket
and a yellow pillow
and an orange ground.
it is like a smooth bed
but it is not blue.
This is a house
wood, brown, smooth, big wall
glass, clear, smooth, big as a door
chair, tan, smooth, small as a kid
couch, brown, soft.
This is a house
it feels safe
it will change by being dark, trash
everywhere, broken windows, table
broken in half.

Carlos, fourth grade, Oak Springs Elementary School

Digital River

Here’s another poem to celebrate National Poetry Month. This poem was written by David, a fourth grader from Ms. Fuenzalida’s class at J. J. Pickle Elementary. David was inspired by Digital River, a piece from El Anatsui’s exhibition at the Blanton Museum last fall.

Black River by El Anatsui

Untitled

The foot of a dinosaur and the tail of a serpent can be seen in the place where flowers are planted.
A boat, small enough for a rat, appears.
Or a train, passes the rats in the place where small animals live and swim.
It’s like a beach, full of sand, surrounding the water.

David, fourth grade, J. J. Pickle Elementary School

Reaching for Freedom

Happy Friday! In celebration of National Poetry Month, here’s another wonderful poem! This poem, which is untitled, was written by Janelle, a fourth grader in Ms. Becker’s class at J. J. Pickle Elementary. Janelle dreams of soaring through the sky, with airplanes and butterflies, until she reaches what she loves most—freedom.

Untitled

I will go to the sky to touch the clouds
because I always wish to touch the clouds,
and I will go to space and meet the aliens,
and this is called a passage.
So I will fly until I meet Paris and Tokyo
and I will go with the airplane
and the butterfly.
I always wish to fly on an airplane and a butterfly.
If I fly with them I will go to freedom,
because I like to go to freedom.

Janelle, fourth grade, J. J. Pickle Elementary School

Sacred Moon

To continue our celebration of National Poetry Month, here is another poem that was inspired by the El Anatsui exhibit at the Blanton Museum last fall.  Tom, a fourth grader from Ms. McVey’s class at T. A. Brown Elementary, was inspired by the beautiful wall sculpture Sacred Moon, which is made out of wood and metal fragments.

El Anatsui's Sacred Moon

Untitled

It is a bomb shooting
on a ship it looks
like a submarine and
a shark is attacking
it looks like a ship
going to war.

Tom, fourth grade, T.  A. Brown Elementary School

Surviving Fire

To continue our celebration of National Poetry Month, we have a special ekphrastic poem for you this afternoon! Badgerdog took Mr. Villegas’s fourth grade classroom at Perez Elementary (along with three other classes at Perez and eighteen other classrooms from Austin, Manor, and Del Valle school districts) to visit the El Anatsui exhibit at the Blanton Museum last fall. El Anatsui’s remarkable Akua’s Surviving, which speaks to the slave trade and the conditions of humanity, inspired Ariana’s poem.

El Anatsui's Akua's Surviving Children

Surviving Children

There was a furious fire
that showed on the ocean.
Kids were just having a good
old time like everyday.

When the twelve girls came screaming,
“Fire! Fire! Run for your lives!”

So they ran to their home. Nobody
believed them. They did not
survive.

Those twelve girls started
the world again.

Ariana, fourth grade, Perez Elementary School

Longing for Spring

Here is a poem for today to continue our celebration of National Poetry Month. This poem, which is untitled, was another finalist for Badgerdog’s Spring Poem Contest and was written by Michelle, a fourth grader at J. J. Pickle Elementary. Michelle captures every detail of spring in her poem: animals running along with the wind, the beauty of rain, children playing outside, birds chirping, etc.—she leaves nothing out. Her poem has a unique rhythm to it that truly keeps us longing for more.

I picked up a blooming fresh rose that was sitting in the wet green grass.

It smelled like honey that was funny that I gave it money.

The animals run in the breeze where the sun came out and where squirrels fed their babies that were jumping up and down.

The birds chirp a beautiful melody while hawks glide through the smooth blue sky.

When I walk through the park I see children playing with their friends and they soar when they play tag.

The rain falls and it looks like clear blue dots falling from the sky with the dark, grey clouds.

The animals hide and everyone goes inside while I look at the petals and leaves that were catching the water.

Michelle, fourth grade, J. J. Pickle Elementary School