Wonder

Another day in National Poetry Month means another poem! The poem “Wonder,” by Jordyn, a fourth grader at Pioneer Crossing Elementary, was another finalist for Badgerdog’s Spring Poem Contest.  Jordyn personifies earth in her poem, wondering if it minds children playing on its surface or if it speaks to the birds chirping.  Her beautiful poem reminds us to think about our effects on earth, whether they be big or small, and to keep its unique wonder alive.

As me and my friends run
and play around, I wonder,
does the earth mind that we’re
running on his green hair or playing
hopscotch on his concrete scalp?
As I hear the children
on the playground screaming,
the birds chirping, and the cool spring
breeze, I wonder, is this how the earth
and birds talk to each other? And is the
children screaming interrupting them?
Oh I wonder, I wonder.

Jordyn, fourth grade, Pioneer Crossing Elementary School

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Stop—It Is Spring

To continue our celebration of National Poetry Month, we have another poem for you today. But this isn’t just any poem! Ebonie’s “Stop-It Is Spring” was a finalist in our Spring Poem Contest.  We’ll be posting each of the four finalists until Sunday…when we’ll reveal our winner!  Ebonie, a sixth grader at Ojeda Middle School, writes in her finalist poem about that special “wonderfulness in the air” that comes from the warmth of spring, the smell of newly blossomed flowers, and the dancing wind.  Ebonie’s words remind us to stop and admire the beauty spring brings and to look forward to a new beginning.

The tree stops doing what is was
doing—shaking, you might say.
The grass stops dancing in a very
odd way, like a girl I don’t know
as she runs through the grass
and the red roses and the sunflowers—
she stops. Her nose is clear. It is
hot now. She can smell the
wonderfulness in the air because—
yes—
it’s spring.

Ebonie, sixth grade, Ojeda Middle School

A Waking, Walking Dream of Spring

To continue our celebration of National Poetry Month, here’s a poem from Kevin, a fourth grader at Perez Elementary.  Kevin’s “A Waking, Walking Dream of Spring” was a finalist for Badgerdog’s Spring Poem Contest. In his poem, Kevin writes about a different type of spring, one where he finds unknown substances, creates a portal, and watches the outside world from a mysterious place.  Kevin’s poem reminds us that springtime has that unique ability to transport us into our most vivid dreams, whether we are awake or asleep.

I’m outside my house and I touch the fish
in the pool. I start digging a hole
and I find a weird substance called obsidian—
it’s pitch black. I see a person fighting
and playing around with their dog
in the grass. I go back to make a portal
with the obsidian—the portal looks like
a rectangle. I go inside because I need to eat
some chicken soup, then I come back out
and get the matches out of my pocket
and light the side of the portal. When I get
to the other place, I can’t get out.

 Kevin, fourth grade, Perez Elementary School

Never Forgetting

To continue our celebration of National Poetry Month, here’s a poem from Janelle, a fourth grader in Ms. Becker’s class at J. J. Pickle Elementary School.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
         
 
 
 
 
 
 
              

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—Inspired by Federico García Lorca’s “Abandoned Church (Ballad of the Great War)”
Son,
I will find you.
I won’t forget
about you.
I don’t want
to be
far from
you, my heart.
I know that you are
a giant. Don’t
separate from
me, don’t
scare me,
don’t
eat me.
I only want
to be
with
you.

Janelle, fourth grade, Pickle Elementary School

What Is the Color Gold? For National Poetry Month

To continue our celebration of National Poetry Month, here’s a poem from Amy, a fourth grader in Ms. Rich’s class at Pioneer Crossing Elementary.

What Is the Color Gold?

Gold is the color of a bright bird.
If you hear its beautiful chirp,
you will go to the hill and watch the sunset.
You will soon get sleepy
and doze off.
When you wake up the next morning,
you’re in your home.
You won’t see anything from your strange
journey, but you will find a gold key
in your coat pocket.
Three years later,
once you are seventeen,
you find that it is the key to
your love. When you’re older,
you know to move on,
and you get that special person
the most important thing to her—a ring.
Amy, fourth grade, Pioneer Crossing Elementary School

Pants! For National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month! To celebrate, we’ll be featuring a new poem on Unbound each day!

Today, we’re featuring Julissa from Ms. Rodriguez’s class at Perez Elementary School.

Pantalones

—inspirado por “Momias” de Nicanor Parra

Un pantalón se peina los bolsillos
Otro pantalón canta Hannah Montana
Otro pantalón come del piso.

Un pantalón brinca en un pantano
Otro pantalón se roda en lodo.

Un pantalón hace un pillow fight
Otro pantalón escribe un poema
Otro pantalón se pinta la cara.

Todos los pantalones están en una limosina
Casi todos los pantalones abren sus regalos.

Varios pantalones se toman fotos
Unos pantalones se comen sopa de letras
Un pantalón se come sopa de hongos.

Un pantalón canta y baila
con Justin Bieber.

Pants

—after Nicanor Parra’s “Mummies”

One pair of pants combs its pockets
Another pair of pants sings Hannah Montana
Another pair of pants eats off the floor.

One pair of paints jumps in the swamp
Another pair of pants rolls in mud.

One pair of pants has a pillow fight
Another pair of pants writes a poem
Another pair of pants puts on makeup.

All of the pants are in a limousine
Almost all of the pants open their presents.

Some pants take pictures
A few pants eat letter soup
One pair of pants eats mushroom soup.

One pair of pants sings and dances
with Justin Bieber.

Julissa, fourth grade, Perez Elementary School