Found Poems: Created from the book "Are you Out There God?" about homeless adolescents

I can’t believe they did this to me

By: Sam Mitchell

11/14/2013

Scared, Angry, Tired

I can’t believe they did

This to me

Ran away

Nowhere to go

I can’t believe they did

This to me

I’m ashamed

I don’t think you’ll like me

I can’t believe they did

This to me

He said he loved me then

He said he would kill me

I can’t believe they did

This to me

Help! Help me! Please help me!

By: Eric Remaly

11/14/2013

“Help! Help me! Please help me!”

She was sprinting as

Fast as he

Let could cary

Her

She jumped on the van

Pounding, pounding to

Get our

Attention

Scared to death

No, no

Running, swerving, dodging

Across the dark street

“Help! Help me! Please help me!”

Then it happened

It pulled alongside the girl

He jumped out

“Help! Help me! Please help me!”

He started to beat her

Pick her up and throw

Her into the car

There was nothing

We could do

Every single word of this story

Is

TRUE

“Help! Help me! Please help me!”

Six of us in a box

By: Isaiah Saunders

11/14/2013

Six of us in a box

Six beautiful kids,

Infinitely beautiful

But dirty

Bed ragged, unkempt

Six beautiful kids

The youngest 11-12

It’s not a bad box

Six beautiful kids

Six kids huddled together

Trying not to look ashamed

Six beautiful kids

Concerned that the father beat them

Six beautiful kids

These kids might have a better future

Six beautiful kids

Homeless Person Wins Millions

Homeless Man Wins Millions

Tamer Lapore

11/6/2013

As an elderly man sat on a park bench, he thought of food.  Food was all he really wanted.  He noticed all of the venders walking about with the most delicious smelling foods!  As he sat there thinking of food, he heard a scream.  A girl fell into the sewer.  The old man jumped into action.  He ran towards the sewer on his arthritic legs.  He pulled the girl out.  She had on a very expensive looking dress.  When she got out, her parents, who just so happened to be trillionaires, ran up and started pulling money out of their pockets – then, they looked up to see who saved their daughter.  They looked at him, put the money back in their pockets and walked away.  The old homeless man stood there in shock!  Then he found a diamond necklace.  He thought, “it must be the girl’s.  We’ll if it’s hers then I earned it fair and square.” It was worth millions!  The man no longer had to dream about food, he bought it.

Jazz Tangles

Images

* Students each randomly selected strange images cut out from the pages of magazines.  They were to use the image selected to create a story or poem.

A Figure

By: Esau Carlisle

10/29/2013

The train is here and it feels like someone is watching me.  Everything is going by fast.  There I see it, one figure is standing alone.  He is tall and wearing dark clothes.  Through all the movement he stays still and then it happens.  The flash!  But it’s just the train.  I must go – I can’t stay here – not with him watching me.  The air feels cold as I turn around.  Everyone is gone.  I’m stuck now . . . he got me . . . I’m all alone.

Scat

* While studying Jazz, students listened to several examples of scat and were asked to write a song/poem that incorporated scat.

Scatt

By: Isaiah Saunders

10/23/2013

Boogidy, boogidy, boogidy, boo

Guess what – I just scared you!

Moogily, boogily, boogily, boo

If you tell on me, I’ll tell on you.

Diggidy, doo

Just kidding

I love you

Wiley, wilely, wee

Tell on me

Waggidy, waggidy

Please sissy

Bow, wow

Now I am in trouble

Boogidy, boogidy, boo

Scatt

By: Zach Smith

10/23/2013

Pish posh

45 cross

Zosh bosh

Run it like I’m Rick Ross

Lorenzo benzo

Run it to the end zone

Cown rown

Rocket – touchdown!

Hoard roard

6 points on the board

Jacka lack

Lay those defenders on their back

Socka zock

Swansboro Pirates Rock!

Scatt

By: Kenyan Fizer

10/23/2013

Skitt Scat skittle dat

I wanted a skittles pack

Backtrackmiddlemat

I’m not joking, I said go back

Ing Ang ol olley loo

I will throw these reeses at you

Ho ha hackit hall

It’s Halloween – I’ll egg you all

Toe tae tookity tack

Then I’m taking the rest of the bag

Renraent ratty rat

I’m runnin with the candy and

I’m not running back

Scatt

By: Sam Armstrong

10/23/2013

Do too diddly doo

I’m coming for you

Nick nack patty wack

I’m going to search your back pack

Ding a ling dang a ling

Yes! I just snatched your ring

Do to diddly  doo

I told you I was coming for you

Scatt

By: Isaiah Britton

10/23/2013

Blah blah blah blibbidy blah

I don’t care

I’m not payin’ the taxi fare

Tick Tock

There goes the clock

Now see me walk

Tippity tap

I’m takin’ a nap

Click Clair

There sits my chair

But I’m still not payin’ the taxi fare

Work Song

* After listening to "work song" by Nat Adderley, students were asked to write the story they saw in their heads as they listened to the music.

Workday

By: Alyson Vondran

10/22/2013

Hmm, hmm, hmm, she heard herself humming to the music that radiated from the walls.  She felt her mood lighten with every step.  She walked in, to hear the forbidden music dancing around the room.  She didn’t want to stop those people’s happy moods, but she had to, she was a cop.  No one was allowed to listen to this music.  Maya heard the saxophone get higher in fluid beats.  She couldn’t ruin this.  Instead, she picked up a tray and began dancing around the place, delivering random drinks.  Suddenly she heard the rush of thumping steps.  “Ah –ha!” a man said.  Maya dropped the tray and ran out the door, into dark water.  She fled down the stream and rested on a set of stairs leading up – just up – to nowhere in particular.  She sat and waited.  The man passed by, so she quickly stood and headed back to where the music once played.  Nothing was left, but ashes and smoke – it had been burned to the ground.

Point Of View Fairy Tales

* Students were instructed to pick a common story - one many people have heard frequently - and retell it from a new characters perspective, changing the story significantly.

Cinderella

By: Casey Stophel

10/17/2013

I’m going to tell you the true story about my sister Cinderella.  I’m Bella, the oldest of the step sisters.  My sister, Cinderella, always got the attention.  She was the pretty one.  She got all the guys.  I’m the smart one, I got good grades – I’m even a national champion in squash!  My father and grandparents were always fond of her. 

Everyone always thinks my mom was just mean – but there was a reason for that too.  You see, while she was sleeping one night, Cinderella shaved off her eyebrows – and boy did that gt her steaming.  That’s why she couldn’t go to the ball.  The other reason my mom would let her go to the ball was because she got an F o her report card, not because she was a slave and had to clean up everything.  She probably was doing that because her room was a mess.  Mom felt bad, so we tried to bring home ice-cream for later, but she was asleep and our freezer was broken – so it would have melted anyway.

You know Cinderella lost her slipper, which is actually true.  You also know that the Prince was trying to find the slipper’s owner.  But, what you don’t know, is that the prince was actually my boyfriend!  Once he saw Cinderella, though, it was like I didn’t exist.  It seems like I’m the only one that truly understands that my sister is a freak who will go out of her way to get attention.  I will never forgive her again!  And just so we’re clear . . . the camera caught me on a bad day!

This brings us to my un-happily ever after.

Cinderella

By: David Rice

10/17/2013

Hi!  I’m Cinderella, and I have five bratty step brothers.  I was watching T.V. and I made the boys do the work, but they thought I was mean.  At least I gave them a snack!

My brother, Andrew, likes this girl named Mary.  Since our parents died, I make the rules and I say they can’t have girlfriends.  The next day I went to the park to pick some apples and I say my brother with that weirdo Mary girl.  I immediately confronted the and told Mary to get away from my little brother.  Andrew was grounded for two weeks.

As soon as we got home, I sat back down to watch some more T.V. and let my brothers take care of the cleaning.  And we had . . . well I had a happily ever after.

Mysteries of Harris Burdick

A Strange Day in July

By: Kat Witte

10/9/2013

On one ordinary day, Jessie and Mark wanted to go down to the pond on their brand new scooters!  As they went down the path, they came across wonderful skipping rocks.  But, because Jessie was little, she didn’t quite know how to skip rocks yet.  Mark, on the other hand, was a champ at everything.  So, he threw the first one and it only skipped three times.  Jessie tried one but it just plopped in the water.  As mark threw the second one he slipped a little, it felt like something was pulling on him.  So, he threw the 2^nd rock and doubled his skips.  He threw his third rock, but felt the pull again.  He tried one more time – he threw it with all his might, but the third stone came skipping back!

Mark thought that was strange, so he told Jessie that they needed to go.  They picked up their scooters and rode along the path, faster and faster each second.  Jessie couldn’t keep up!  She fell off and scraped her knee – and that’s when Mark saw it . . . they were never seen again.

The Harp

Tamera Lepore

10/9/2013

Once there was a harp, a beautiful harp with gold leafing along its frame and strings of spun gold.  A harp worth a million songs, lying in the middle of the street.  A certain Sabrina Williams was driving on that fateful day.  It was raining and lighting shot across the sky when she saw it.  Sabrina slowed and skidded to a halt just before hitting the harp.  She got out of the car and stared at the harp.  Sabrina looked around to see if anyone was watching, then she pulled on one of the strings.  A happy note came out of that instrument and it stopped raining.  The moon and stars came out.  She stared at the harp, then she picked it up and thought, “this must be my lucky day.”   When she got home, she tried to play a song, but it sounded different.  Then, Sabrina Williams looked up and a landscape had formed in her living room.  As she kept playing the room kept changing – it changed into a grave yard.  She fell I into one of the graves with a silent wind.  Her husband came back from work to find a grave marked, “Sabrina Williams: died 1673.”  He put the harp in the attic with a note telling of the harp’s curse.

20 years later, a boy moved into that exact house with his mother.  The boy’s name was Daren Turner.  As he ran around the house exploring, the door to the attic creaked open.  Daren slowly crept into the attic and saw it – the most beautiful harp ever.  He read the note, then threw it away as he played a wild song – like a tribe of wild people would play.  Then, the attic started to turn into a forest.  Daren kept playing, “so it’s true,” he thought.  The harp disappeared, leaving Daren stranded in an unknown forest.

The harp strikes again . . .

The House of Maple Street

Brendan Motley

10/9/2013

It was a bright, sunny, joyful day on Maple Street; the kids were playing while all the parents were cooking and relaxing on lawn chairs, drinking iced tea.  It was very unusual for ALL the families to come to the cookouts.  It was rare because house 119’s neighbor was the stay at home kinda guy.  Kids would say that he went insane, while parents said not to go near his house.  The parents thought he was some kind of butcher!

He did come though, and everybody tried to avoid him, except Nancy.  Nancy was a 9 year old girls that wasn’t afraid of anything.  Nancy was very nice to him, so they talked and talked – mostly about the weather and their favorite T.V. shows.  A while later, when the cookout was over they went to the man’s house, because he promised her cookies.  They went inside, ate some cookies and watched T.V.  Then, the house started to shake!  They were both screaming.  Nancy was so scared – but the man wasn’t – he knew what was happening.  He as inside all the time because he turned his house into a rocket ship.  They went off and never were seen or heard from again. 

Nancy’s mom said “it was a perfect lift-off!”  That is the story of the house on Maple Street.

Under the Rug

By: Parker Benedict

10/9/2013

Two weeks passed and it happened again!  Those migraines are back.  They really hurt.  Sometimes I will go to the doctor, but they come back every two weeks.  I have lost something and it feels like the room is lopsided.  I think that’s why I keep on having so many migraines.

I need to finish this project, but the migraines keep on affecting my skills!  Where is my pencil?!  Where is my paper?!  This is stressing me out, he said.  What!  I know why I’m having migraines! STRESS!  Okay, so maybe if I calm myself down, maybe I can do better work.  Well, let’s give it a shot, he thought. 

He put all of his things on his desk, calmed himself down, and Bam!  He was working like a maniac on steroids.  He had drawn all sorts of stuff – from animal to forests – you name, he drew it.  Now that he was calmed down and done with stress, he could conquer the world!

Story Cubes

* A set of nine picture dice are rolled and students are asked to create a story inspired by the pictures on the dice.

Story Cubes

By: Rudy Paisley

10/8/2013

Once a boy named Little Foot had an idea.  He wanted to live in a big city, but instead lived in a teepee in Egypt – he could see pyramids in the distance.  He was also great at magic so he scheduled a show and showed the audience magic; he moved dice without touching them -  everyone loved it.  He won money and moved to the city, but hated it . . . and for him, the key to happiness was home.

Story Cubes

By: Casey Stophel

10/8/2013

Lila was a Native American who didn't have as many privileges as the other girls.  She would always get the broken arrows.  What made Lila so different was that instead of hunting, she liked to paint.  She painted people, animals, flowers, rainbows, and all sorts of things.  Another thing that made Lila different was that she only had one hand.  All of the other girls thought that she was weird and gross.  Lila couldn’t do what all the other girls could, so she liked to read.  Since she didn’t have an arm, she had to walk with a cane to keep her balance.  The other girls often took and stole her cane and broke it.  Little did they know, however, that with all the broken canes Lila was making a bow and arrow specifically for her disabilities.  The next month they were having an archery competition.  When it was Lila’s turn all the girls laughed and sneered, but Lila was focused.  She drew her arrow and hit her target dead-center, everyone was speechless – and from the center of her bull’s eye erupted a beautiful fountain.  Lila was never seen as different again.

Landscape

* Students were given a random picture of a unique landscape and asked to use it as the inspiration for a creative story.

Landscape

By: Sam Armstrong

10/1/13

Here is my home.  Early in the morning the sky starts to illuminate my heart.  The water is acting as a mirror to the heavens above and soaking in the color.  I love this place.  Stars still fill the sky as dawn is arriving.  The jagged mountains are turning more grey as the sun comes its way.  Although I lay here by myself, something is calling my name.  I see that its fading away from me – my wonderful home, my peace and quiet spot is drawing away from sight.  I open my eyes back to reality, and now I lay away – my mom sitting next to my bed.

Landscape

By: TaAliyah Ross

10/1/13

Listen closely and you can hear the whispers through the trees. 

The fog blinds you – you can’t find your way you . . . you’re stuck. 

Keep going, just be very quiet. 

There is a shushing noise when your feet touch the ground. 

The old tree branches weeping in the distance, waiting for their time to fall.

 The only thing you can say is you can make it through this forest.

Fear Poems and Rescue Me Poems

Fear of Sharks

By – Kyarra Carpenter

I got to the beach

To have fun

And to play all day

Then a shark comes

So agile and swift

With their malicious ways

They scare everything away

They have a colossal body

And they have a ludicrous brain

They are so tenacious when eating whatever

Comes in their way

They are not amicable

To me you see

Because if they were, I would still

Be there today

 Rescue Me

By – Haley Cano

Mrs. Butterfly’s Cocoon

Let me out of my cocoon

And just like a flower I’ll bloom

Mrs. Butterfly wants to come out

So instead of nothing but quiet she can shout

She wants to fly oh so high

Up and up in the sky

She wants to play hide-n-seek

And whisper to herself, he’ll never find me

She want to show her beautiful wings

To everyone ever you and me

So if you’ll let her out of her cocoon

Just like a flower she will bloom

 Whaleophobia

By – Zach Weisend

Killer whales splashing waves

Taller than the titanic,

Ripping the food to pieces,

Shredding meat like a

Wood chipper,

3,000 pounds of killer jaw,

Jumping out of the water like

Michael Jordan,

Splashing down like a bower,

Flinging into the air like

Acrobats,

Swallowing sail boats,

What a horror!

 Rescue Me

By – Zach Weisend

Don’t untie me from your foot,

For I have helped you run away

From Hitler,

The Nazis,

And outrun all the other

Jewish kids,

Never take me off.

My tread is still thick,

My shine is brand new,

We can have way more

Adrenaline – rushed adventures.

Never trade me for another,

I won’t help anyone else,

Only you, I will help escape

The Germans,

 My soles re glued to you

Let Me In

By – Ryan Hill

7:00 Am, my worst

Time of day

They send me outside

Just to play

They get the treats

And I follow that

way

They tricked

Me again

Why couldn’t i

Stay

Now I’m here

Till five

Outside where it’s cold

And rainy

I wish I was inside

So warm and

Safe

Rescue Me

By – William Collins

Open the box and liberate me,

Pull out the big bag of cereal,

I will be yours to play with there’s no fee

Both of us want to have fun,

Just open the box

If we lay we will never be done

I’ll help you imagine great things

Save a princess, fight a dragon, or fly with wings

If you don’t, I will be alone

I will be sad and have a mean tone

I’ll go to a castle

Or got the county fair

Just grab the box and tare

Don’t put me back and eat an egg

Don’t leave me alone – I beg

Please open the box and liberate me

Pull out the big bag of cereal,

I will be your to play with, there’s no fee

Rescue Me

By – Maddie Anzaldi

Stuck in this world,

Filled with grief and hate,

I wish I was a bird,

To fly away and find my fate

Down here on this land,

Society controls everyone,

But there in your sand,

Is where I’d want to run.

I want to be free,

From the suicides, and dread,

To get away, and for once

Not have insults to me fed.

Can’t you now notice

These people are mean,

Rescue me God,

For I know, on your I can lean.

I am . . . Who are you?

I’m Short! Who are you?

By – Paige Schrom

I’m short! Who are you?

Are you short too?

Trying to reach books up high

Wishing you could touch the sky

The two of us, you and I

Can you reach that apple pie?

I am short, you are too

Let’s be happy not all blue

We can do our own thing

Listen to the bells ring

I love being short – I hope you

Do to!

I Am a Child! Who are you?

By – Jessica Burke

I am a child! Who are you?

Are you a child too?

I’s better like this, don’t you see?

We get to live life the way we want to be.

Don’t grow up fast, or slow

Live your life to learn and grow

So you are you?

Please say that you’re a child too!

Play outside, don’t want to drive,

Or get away – just be alive!

Be a child today,

It isn’t so bad, by the way.

  

 I’m a Gymnast! Who are you?

By – Makenzie Laureano

I’m a gymnast! Who are you?

Are you are gymnast too?

I flip, I tumble

I toss and turn

I fly like a butterfly

I am a gymnast short and all

Are you a gymnast?

Yes by far!

We are both gymnasts

So proud and bold

Being a gymnast get you a piece of gold

If you work hard you can

Be the best

But only if you stay committed

As you see gymnasts don’t rest