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.