English 9 Poems 2008-9 Vallor/Skinner

Haiku Poems
Haiku
The birds keep the tone
The wind keeps the steady beat
Nature is my song
Haiku
The joyous season
Flowers smile towards the bright sun
Peaceful, calm winds soar
Haiku
Ocean waves crash soft
!ugged sand tickles my feet
"t#s heaven on earth
Haiku
$urning grains of sand
Find their way between my toes
%s waves swiftly crash
Haiku
&apphire clear water
'uietly full of power
Night on the ocean
Haiku
Hot $arren Terrain
(ountless )rains *pon the +and
,ater -enied &and
Haiku
" sit in the woods
The trickling of a stream
.usic to my ears
Haiku
The night is ending
$right sun comes up over the hill
.orning has started
Haiku
/iolent waves crash along
The shores of blue, open seas
(alling of nature
Haiku
Footprints on the sand
$eaming seashells sparkle bright
&oft waves hit the shore
Haiku
&now falls down gently
Over the town like a blanket
The start of winter
Haiku
$old .t 0verest
(on1uer the heights of beauty
.ajestic danger
Haiku
% scent fills the air
The sky#s grey eyes fill with tears
-rops flood the concrete
Haiku
(olors and races
They don#t make a difference
,e#re all just people
Haiku
,aiting for water
% seed under the soil
,aiting, still waiting
Haiku
,hen the sun rises
"t will shine through my window
&aying good morning
2
Haiku
The birds fly up high
*ndisturbed by the high winds
&oaring invincibly
Haiku
The sun sets above
$right colors of pinks and blues
Peace reigns over the land
Haiku
Once in the morning
The blue bird whistles a tune
)reeting the new day
Haiku
Night is beginning
The moon is glowing brightly
Piercing through the darkness
The Pond
% beautiful pond
The sun shines off its water
% form of comfort
Haiku
(herry blossoms bloom
From the month of .arch to 3une
% gift from 3apan
Tanka Poems
&nowflake
,hen a snowflake forms
"t#s a tiny miracle
*ni1ue in all ways
"t#s a perfect crystal shape
&lowly drifting from the sky
Tanka
%ll of the birdies
(hirping high in the green trees
Fluffing their feathers
+ittle babies in their nests
,aiting to devour food
Tanka
!aindrops fall and break
+ike pieces of broken glass
&hatter on the ground
Falling from the cold deluge
Filling up the skies at night
Tanka
&un on the .eadow
&oft )rass $lowing in the ,ind
,ater#s )entle ,ake
*nspoiled +and Free of .an
% Picture of Nature#s $liss
Tanka
Oceans
$eautiful oceans
The warm sand beneath my feet
(rystal blue water
The waves splash against the shore
%nd sparkle in the warm sun
Tanka
,aves crash on the sand
The sun beats down on my skin
Happiness is here
How " wish " could stay long
Tran1uility is reached
4
Tanka
New first born baby
0legant, soft skin, and hair
+ittle fingers curl
$right green eyes distinguish all
% pleasant bundle of love
Tanka
Fear is upon us
-arkness fills our minds with thoughts
&leep is out of reach
.oon goes down and sun comes out
Peacefully we rise again
Tanka
$right blue is the sky
&uddenly it turns to black
+ightning flashes bright
+ife can change in a moment
05pect the une5pected
Tanka
The lightning strikes
The birds fly into the sky
The waves roar with rage
The fish splash and flail about
The sky grey flashes with light
Tanka
"n a darkened room,
)rey shades take away new light,
'uiet as can be,
% sad song of white lies plays,
Hear its charming melody
.usic
Piano playing
)uitars strumming, sounding soft 6notice the euphony
here7
/oices sing over all
-rums following the rhythm
The sweet sound of music plays
Tanka
+eaves fall from the trees
&oftly touching the bright grass
Flowers bloom in place

%s the sun smiles down at me
" enjoy the warm spring day
Tanka
The warm sun setting
The sand one hot cools slowly
(alm waves rolling in
+ight gleams off the pool of blue
The day is done and at rest
Tanka
8ou can live your life
,hat you do is your choice only
-on#t let your time pass
+ive, laugh, love it#s what you have
.ake every moment like it#s your last
Cinquains
(in1uain
29:;
(hange, e1uality
Fighting, protesting, inspiring
<" have a dream=
(ivil !ights .ovement
(in1uain
The universe
.ysterious, strange
05ploding, growing, shrinking
)ala5ies with out number
(osmos
>
The Night
The night
'uiet and peaceful
(overing, preserving, enduring
!eveals once hidden stars
0vening
(in1uain
+ife
*ps, downs, unpredictable
+earn, live, love
3ourney with a purpose
05istence
(in1uain
Time
0ndless, fast
.oving, flowing, passing
&lipping through fingers
-uration
(in1uain
)randma
&mart and %ma?ing
Thinking, (ontemplating, &lowly slipping from here
)od took her back
The $est
(in1uain
The ocean
$lue and glistening
Flowing, crashing, never@ending
&tretching into the sky
&ea
&unset
&unset
/elvet, orange
-escending, reaching, hiding
$ringing us new day
-usk
Parents
Parents
*nselfish, intelligent
(aring, protecting, teaching
,hom we all love
Heroes
(in1uain
%thlete
-edicated, Powerful
!unning, 3umping, +ifting
Pushing through the pain
(ompetitor
List Poems
Things to be thankful for
,arm and soothing showers
% nice room to clean
Pictures to look at
% toothbrush and a sink
&hoes to wear on my feet
% dog to love and care for
Fun people to laugh with
% piano with bright white keys
+ights to turn on and off
Homework to do in the evening
)reat memories to look back on
The little things
Things to $e Thankful For
.y +ife
.y (ountry
.y Health
.y Family
.y House
.y Food
.y (lothes
.y Friends
.y 0ducation
.y (lubs
.y &tuff
.y )od
;
Things ,e ,ish For
Flowers after a spring rain
&ummer on a snowy day
% smile in a lonely place
(olor on a blank page
(lear sky in a thunderstorm
+ight on a dark, cold night
+oyalty from a good friend
Fresh air in a stuffy room
% home to call your own
Hope when there is none left
The easing of a broken heart
%lways wishing to have the opposite
Never thankful for what we have
Things 8ou Never )row Too Old For
(reating forts in the basement
&inging along to &esame &treet
Playing cops and robbers
-ancing in the rain
-igging in the sandbo5
+aughing until you cry
(oloring with crayons
!olling in the mud
$uilding sand castles
Falling asleep in the car
,ishing too big
&winging on swings
Pretending to fly
Falling in love
!acing across the lawn
Playing with Play@-ough
&creaming at the top of your lungs
Hugging your mom
(hasing lightning bugs
,ishing you could change the world
Things to do on a rainy day
,atch the discovery channel
$ake cookies
Play candy land
.ake a paper air plane
0at some ice cream
Take a nap
3ump in puddles
-ance
$low bubbles
.c-onalds Play landA
Play dress up
Put a blanket on the floor and pretend you#re on a
fishing boat
Things That $ring a &mile to .y Face
The wind through my hair
The sand through my feet
$looming flowers
(rashing waves
The smell of the salty, open sea
Frolicking in the rain
Thunderstorms
"ce cream cones on a hot, summer day
+oud music
+ooking at the starry night sky
+ong road trips
!iding roller coasters as my stomach turns inside out
Putting a smile on other people#s faces
+ist Poem
$e who you want to be
-ance like no one is watching
&ing like no one is listening
-ream big
0njoy all the little things in your life
05pect a miracle
+ive, love, laugh and be thankful
Never ever give up
!efuse to settle for anything less than butterflies
+ove like you#ve never been hurt
+ive each day likes it#s your last
$e yourself, know yourself, trust yourself
The $est Things in +ife
+aughing until your stomach hurts
&miling for no reason
,atching the stars at night
-riving with no destination
&inging at the top of your lungs
.aking new friends
$eing with your family
Helping someone in need
+earning something new every day
Falling in love
B
)iving your all
!eaching your dreams
Things " want to do before " die
&ee the %urora $orealis with my own two eyes
$e in the )uinness $ook of ,orld !ecords
)o on a road trip with my best friends
&et foot on all seven continents
!ide a huge Ferris wheel
!ide in a hot air balloon
&wim with a dolphin
)o to -isney ,orld
.eet a celebrity
)o scuba diving
)o camping
(rowd surf
Arosti Poems
Happiness
Hold each moment as precious
A smile on your face
Pass the time with laughter
Perfect wind in your hair
!n your heart there is only hope
"othing but the taste of freedom
Every sound is like music
Seeing only the beauty around you
Speaking only love
-arfur
#eteriorating souls left without hope
A people#s suffering left untouched
$ain of the heart left streaking down faces
%ar off eyes left searching for an escape
&nder nourished children left for scavengers
$each beyond yourself to help those left behind
&pring
Sweet music of waking birds
Pollen tickles your nose
$ain drops fall on your head
!ncredible beauty of the new day
"ew flowers open their petals
'one is winter#s hold
-estiny
#on#t plan things
Everything happens for a reason
Save your sorrow for later, live life now
Time is gold
!ntroduced by fate
"ever stop the flow of life
(esterday, today, tomorrow have already been written
.other
)others are there to tie your shoe
*ver protective@only because she doesn#t want to lose
you
Taking care of your cuts, no matter how bad
Holding your hand when you feel sad
Every where you go she#s in your mind
$emember, she#s one of a kind
Friendship
%unny when you need a smile
$ight there when you need them
!nside jokes
E5citing and enjoyable
"othing gets by them
#on#t leave home without them
Shoulder to cry on
Happy to see you
!ncredible
Plenty of reasons to call you friend
-edication
#eciding your fate
Energi?ing yourself
#eciding your life
!gniting the spark
Creating the opportunity
Answering the challenge
Toppling the competition
!gniting yourself
*ut and !eady
"ever give up
:
&occer
Shooting for the goal
*pportunity to score
Cra?y fans screaming
Cuts and bruises
Eyes on you
$unning with all you got
&occer
Spectators cheering on the sidelines
*pen goal to kick at
Crafty movements with they#re feet
Careful to make sure no one steels the ball
Even if the opponent takes the ball, try to get it back
$each for the win
)oti+ Poems
.usic
.usic is passion
.usic is notes flowing inside you
.usic is a powerful message
.usic is the light at the end of the tunnel
.usic is a way of life
.usic is joy
.usic is discovering a whole new world
.usic is telling a story
.usic is pouring your heart out
.usic is showing your emotions
.usic is finding yourself
.usic is me
.otif
Take Time
Take time to noticeC
How the sky is sapphire
How the scent of a flower fills the air
How snow free?es your fingertips
How the sun burns your nose
How a star glistens in a black night
How water 1uenches your thirst
How tree branches sway
How daytime is full of life
How the wind whistles a tune
How some people can stay so optimistic in the worst of
times
How your friends make you smile
How there is always light at the end of a tunnel
+ive +ife
+ive life to seek the meaning of adventure
+ive life to seek the meaning of love
+ive life to seek the meaning of friendship
+ive life to seek the meaning of hope
+ive life to seek the meaning of passion
+ive life to seek the meaning of dedication
+ive life to seek the meaning of faith
+ive life to seek the meaning of miracles
+ive life to seek the meaning of happiness
+ive life to seek the meaning of passion
+ive life to seek the end of the chapter
+ive life to find your fairytale ending
-on#t $e %fraid
-on#t be afraid to speak what#s in your heart
-on#t be afraid to do what#s right
-on#t be afraid to show your style
-on#t be afraid to be who you are
-on#t be afraid to laugh out loud
-on#t be afraid to take a stand
-on#t be afraid to open your mind
-on#t be afraid to stand out in a crowd
-on#t be afraid to challenge yourself
-on#t be afraid to take a risk
-on#t be afraid to face your fears
-on#t be afraid, and you can take on anything
,inning
,inning means giving it your all
,inning means dedication
,inning means playing with passion
,inning means practicing
,inning means outworking your competitors
,inning means playing until the final bu??er sounds
,inning means never giving up
,inning means giving it one hundred percent
,inning means teamwork
,inning means getting dirty
,inning means firing up your team
,inning means your hard work has paid off
D
"nspiration
How your eyes shine so bright
How your hair moves in the wind
How your laugh warms my heart
How your jokes make me grin
How your determination inspires me
How your patience is clear
How your intelligence and wit make me smile so dear
How your sadness engulfs you
How selfless you are
How " wish " could be close to as great as you are
-ream
-ream of a forest
% never@ending sea of green
-ream of the dark trees
Throwing shattered shadows
-ream of the Flowers
$ursts of green among the green
-ream of the rain
&oftly falling on your skin
-ream of the forest stream
0ver changing and ever moving
-ream of the silver pools
!eflecting the dark e5panse
-ream of the silence
$roken only by the melodies of nature
-ream of a forest
-ream of serenity
Home
Home is more than just a house
Home is where you live your life
Home is meaningful to your heart
Home is beautiful days and nights
Home is warm and co?y
Home is a place where you belong
Home is the people who love you
Home is safe and comforting
Home is where you want to go
Home is countless good times
Home is a happy childhood
Home is a promising future
Home is where time flies by
Home is where your heart remains
Home is more than just a house
+et )o
+et go of what bothers you
+et go of the past
+et go of what is bad
+et go of what makes you sad
+et go if you can#t control it
+et go if it doesn#t matter
+et go if it hurts to think about
+et go if you can#t change it
+et go even if it means you will cry
+et go as hard as it may be
+et go because god didn#t want it for you
-on#t let go if you really believe in it
Home
Home is where you#re happy
Home is where your family is
Home is where your friends are
Home is where you go when you#re sad
Home is where you won#t be judged for what you do
Home is where you feel safe
Home is where you want to be
Home is where you feel warm inside
Home is where you get hugged and kissed even if you
don#t want it
Home is where everyone you care about lives
Home is where your heart is
Home is where you#re loved
.otif Poem
The secret of life is laughter
The secret of life is doing every bit that you can
The secret of life is found in a childEs eyes
The secret of life is self@e5pression
The secret of life is being thankful
The secret of life is all around us
The secret of life is skipping through the hard times
The secret of life is a nap in the sun
The secret of life is living in the now
The secret of life is a positive outlook
The secret of life is different for everyone
The secret of life is something that canEt be sold or
bought
The secret of life is discovered by accident
The secret of life is found on the lines of a page
The secret of life is taking it easy
F
The secret of life is knowing your priorities
The secret of life is whatever you want it to be
!emember
!emember to have fun
!emember to be you
!emember to laugh loudly
!emember to be happy
!emember to smile joyfully
!emember to feel the bree?e
!emember to smell the flowers
!emember to enjoy the little things
!emember to share kindness
!emember to walk proudly
!emember to love every second
!emember to live life to the fullest
Football
Football is the game of the strong
Football is not for the weak
Football takes the most intense training
Football is our game no one else#s
Football re1uires the hard determination
Football is going to get me somewhere
Football makes %merica what it is
Football is more in detail than most think it is
Football re1uires lots of studying
Football re1uires you to know your enemy as yourself
Football is a natural thing for me
Football is my outlet for times of need
Family
Family is who you love
Family loves you back
Family takes care of you
Family tucks you in at night
Family teaches you what to do
Family teaches what not to do
Family will be there for you when times are getting
touch
Family will protect you when life is getting rough
,Ho- To. Poems
How ToC(loud ,atch

Find a nice patch of land
+ay down on your back
)et comfortable and 1uiet
&pread out like a star
(lose your eyes
+isten to the sound of nature
Take in a deep breath
+et your eyes flutter open
+ook straight up at the ocean blue sky
Pick a cloud
+et your imagination soar
+ook it#s a bunnyA
How to !ela5
)o for a walk on the beach
%t sunset,
Feel the cool blowing bree?e
and feel the light sand sift through your toes
Pick up a shell
and listen
listen to the calls of the ocean
Follow the swift bree?e
to the shore
Take a few steps into the waves
0mbrace the comfortable crash of the waves
and enjoy the rela5ing beach
How to +ive a +ife ,orth +iving
Fight for what you believe
+earn to lose
Find happiness in the little things
+earn to love
%llow yourself to feel pain
+earn from the pain
!espect yourself
+earn to respect others
Have faith
+earn your beliefs
Forgive and Forget
+earn what is really important in life
$e independent
+earn to depend
Open up and let people in
+earn who you are
)ive back to those less fortunate
+earn to prioriti?e
.ake memories
+earn to rela5
&trive for your best
Never settle for less
9
0njoy the miracles of life
+earn to make your own miracles
How to &ave the ,orld
&hare a smile
05tend a helping hand
!un the e5tra mile
)ive a laugh
,rap someone in a hug
&acrifice your time
!each out to the lost
Forgive the undeserving
+ove even when it hurts
$e aware
-on#t turn your back
&hout for the silent
$e the change you wish to see in the world
How to be a Tree
%lways give everything you can
Never ask for anything
)ive the children a place to play
+et them swing from your branches
$lossom so they can smell the sweet scented flowers
)ive them a shady place on sunny days
%nd shelter on rainy days
+et them cut your branches to build a tree house
Then make the ultimate sacrifice and
+et them cut you down
%fter that give them a place to sit
!emember to always give everything you can
%nd never ask for anything in return
How to be a better person
Never doubt yourself
)ive strangers an une5pected smile
.ake people laugh
)ive good advice
Gnow your limitsH and test them
&it in a 1uiet room, and just think
(ompliment people who seem insecure
$elieve in fairy tale happy endings
$e outgoing and try new things
Never be afraid of failure
Find a great friends who is always there for you
$elieve in yourself because you can do anything
How to make time pass by when you#re bored
+earn to dance in the rain
+isten to music, while belching it out
(all your friends till they answer
0at handfuls of candy till you feel like you#re going to
fall over
)o outside and cover you driveway in chalk
+ie in the grass and stare up at the stars
Take pictures until it hurts to smile
3ump on your bed until you fall off
.ake a fort that covers your entire room
+ook up in the sky and decide what the clouds look
like
Pick dandelions and let them float away, while you
make a wish
(limb a tree, until you reach the top, if you fail get up
and try again
Pick flowers and give them to the people that mean the
most to you
How To .ake The Person 8ou +ove, +ove 8ou $ack
)ive them your whole heart and they#ll surely return
the favor
,hen you fall in love, fall deep
$e yourself and they#ll love you for who you are
(herish the time you have with them for it may be gone
before you know
$e light@hearted and free
+et your personality shine
+et the colors of your world be bright when that person
is around
+et your soul be seen through the window of your eyes
Tell the stories of your past for they may be your future
0mbrace the reality of a friendship and your
relationship will flourish
&oak in their presence
,hen you walk, picture that person#s face at the end of
your path and one day
$ut most importantly enjoy
How to poem
How to live life to the fullestI
+ive every day like it#s your last
Travel to every little corner of the world
$e yourself, not matter what someone says
05perience all emotions, good and bad
&tep in someone else#s shows and understand them
Help others more than yourself
2J
(limb a mountain in life, literally or metaphorically
Touch someone#s life
+augh until your stomach hurts
Find your true friends and never let them go
+ove another with all your heart and soul
$ut most importantly, enjoy
How to enjoy life
+ive one day at a time
%ppreciate the beauty of nature
%ccept the bad along with the good
+ove your friend
Take time and enjoy nature
-on#t take tomorrow for granted
!espect everyone
)ive more than you receive
*nderstand people#s pain and help
Gnow that there is a reason for your life
-on#t practice hate
0njoy life like it#s your last day
How to +ive +ife
+augh every day
+ove the ones who love you
0njoy what you do
+ive your life the fullest
-o what you dream of doing
.ake friends,
&et goals and strive to achieve
&trive for the best
,alk on the path less taken
Have good and bad times
$ut mostly remember the good
+isten to your heart
How to %ppreciate the ,orld %round 8ou
Have a positive attitude
Geep an open mind
$elieve that there is no such thing as the impossible
Pay attention to the little things around you
.ake precious memories
(hoose love over hate
05perience the unimaginable
+ive everyday like itEs your last
Never give up
%ccomplish your dreams in life
Treasure every moment
+ive outside your comfort ?one
Follow your heart
$elieve that everything is a gift
How To Overcome 8our Fears
Never give up
$elieve in yourself
-on#t listen to anyone else
Follow your heart
-on#t regret
)et ready to e5perience a new thing
-on#t think about the <what "fs=
Think about how you will feel after
Think about nothing else
.ake it your goal
-on#t get scared
+ive life to its fullest
How to live your life
%lways take chances
Never forget
+ove always
Open your mind
+isten to your heart
+ove unconditionally
$e greatful for what you have
$e proud of who you are
Find true love
.ake changes for the better
3udge no one
!espect everyone
Never regret
$h/ming Poems
Tonight#s the NightA
"t#s the opening night of the show
%nd everyone#s getting prepared
" have a big smile on my face,
$ut inside "#m really scared
(ostumes are flying everywhereH
Hair and makeup#s being done
22
" can#t breathe but " keep telling myself,
<This is going to be so much funA=
!unning lines, singing scales
%nd sipping on hot tea,
,hat if " crack, or snee?e, or fallK
"#m as nervous as can beA
" suddenly feel confident
$ecause " know "#ve rehearsed a ton
The lights go down, the curtain opens,
!hyming Poem
$lack or white
short or with height
we are all one race
so please embrace
From the valleys of death
to the mountain tops of breath
let us live as one
come to peace, without a gun
destroy the sand grains of hate
for me must not discriminate
then create the rock of brotherhood
e1uality is for our own good
your heart should not be filled with sad
for instead it should feel mad
that we have not yet built a dome
where everyone under can call it home
&o " have a dream
That one day my children will gleam
because of their character, not their skin
that day " shall declare a win
!hyming Poem
There#s a billionC
)rains of sand on an oceanfront
-iscoveries to be made in a treasure hunt
&tars in the calm da??ling night sky
,ays to make me start to cry
Flowers blooming on a sunny spring day
Fish swishing about in a dark blue bay
&now flakes falling from the clear crystal cloud
Hands clapping in a concert crowd
$lades of grass swaying side to side
-eserted shells washed up in a tide
.agical melodies that make people smile
Things that make living life worthwhile
.emories kept and pictures saved
%nd mischievous kids who haven#t behaved
$ut there#s only one mother as special as you
" love you so much, " swear it#s true
!hyming Poem
Play
The &ky is the background
The audience is the stars
The music begins to sound
%s the show is not ours
The frogs sing the bass
The crickets begin to start
Together they keep the pace
%nd center stage is the main part
Through the woods two eyes peer
"t#s a cougar who peeps
On a little sleeping dear
The hunters# prey wakes and leaps
The chase is a sight to see
$ut gone is the deer in the cougar#s eyes
The deer escapes and is free
%s the bright sun begins to rise
"t is the end of the night
The frogs end their low calls
On the hori?on there is light
%s the final curtain falls
!hyming Poem
% sky turning to red
The thunderous clap of an e5plosion
% soldier lays down his head
% world in corrosion
%rmies led by unknown forces
(ontinuing like gears and cogs grinding
People headed on different courses
$ut all intertwining and winding
One by one the fall has begun
Fear placed into peoples minds
From the flashes of a gun
,hat will become of mankind
24
&tanding on the edge of a knife
,as it all just a test
Possible conclusion to life
Hope for the best, but pray for the rest
!hyming Poem
" wish " could dream
%nd fly among the stars
Play tennis on 3upiter
%nd a round of golf on .ars
&top by /enus
%nd lay out in the sun
Take a look at Neptune
%nd see what " can do for fun
Take a stop at *ranus
$ut then again, maybe not
,ouldn#t go to .ercury
"t is much too hot
Finally get bored
Of going where " roam
" guess that " will just
!eturn again to home
!hyming poem
" don#t believe in +ove at first sight
"n most cases "t takes time to make right
,hen you think about itL +ove can be so confusing
How do you keep the compassionK How do you stop
yourself from losingK
Those that matter will stay true
$ut only if it#s worth your heart
Only time will tell +et it ageH
just as a work of art
+et it prosper
+et it grow
The true one will love
0ven through your all time low
%ll these days -iscovers something new
&ometimes you will find The change is in you
!hyming poem
.y roomie is a dog who thinks she#s a cat
(an you imagine that
&he licks her paws she grooms her fur
%nd last night " swear " heard her purr
.y roomie is a dog who thinks she#s a person
&he does so many things just for fun
&he dances to music she watches T/
,henever "#m around her she smiles at me
.y roomie is a dog who thinks she#s a beast
%lthough she is tiny, it doesn#t matter the least
&he barks and she growls at things that come near
,hen others hear her they tremble with fear
.y roomie is a dog who thinks she#s a puppy
"t would aggravate me it she wasn#t so funny
&he plays and chews and craves my attention
" love her in ways to many to mention
!hyming Poem
&easons
&pring is a nice time of year
"t means the ultimate season is almost here
The sun#s warmth and seasonal showers
$rings green grass and uplifting flowers

+ighter clothes and longer days
Outdoor activities and vacation getaways
.any believe it#s the best time of year
$ut " mainly like it because it means summer is almost
here

The school year will soon end and friends go separate
ways
The year is gone but memories stay
%nd what will come ne5t is just so grand
-ays at the beach with your toes in the sand

The smell of the grill and the heat of the day
Family vacations at the bay
$ut the thing about summer that " like most of all
"s it#s here for three months before it turns into fall

%ree Verse Poems
The &ky
2>
The sky is a beautiful place
Full of many magical mysteries
&ometimes it is bright blue
,hile at night it turns to black
The sky is the home of the birds
They gracefully glide through it
The wind beneath their wings supports them
%ir is their invisible companion as they float along
The sky is where the wind is born
,hether it is a forceful gale
Pushing clouds across the sky
Or a gentle bree?e across your face
The sky is a place " long to be
$ut " can never stay long
" must return to the earth
For the ground is where " am meant to be
The sky is the keeper of answers
"t holds them as you look up and wonder
,hile it may not always reply
Forever will it listen
The sky is the place for wishing
8ou can wish upon a star
%nd if your heart is filled with hope
8our dreams may come true
The sky is the limit of your hopes and dreams
$ut some soar beyond it and into space
The sky is an infinite world of wonder
The sky is &imply Gind enough to be 8ours
Original Free /erse

8ou only have one life
One lifetime to live your life
-on#t spend it curled up in a shell
$eing independent and alone
&pread your wings and fly away
-on#t be who others wish you to be
$e the one you want to be
+ive how you want to
+ive with the song of a thousand birds
Things may not always turn out right
$ut that#s just life
&o go for itCbe youCbe freeA
History
History can bind and divide
"t looms over all of us
+ike a ghost judging us
-oes it really e5ist, or is it an illusionK
Our forefathers deciding our lives today
$ut what will we decide for our descendants
% generation judged by its actions
,ill we be remembered as revolutionariesK
Or as onlookers and accomplices of our world#s
corruption
,e can change the world if we try
$ut without contribution from a single person our
world will worsen
Together we will stand tall but divided we will surely
fall
.y Father
He comes home from work every single night
%nd cherishes the moment when his daughters smile
bright
They run to him, give him a goodnight kiss
He knows someday this is what he#ll miss
He follows them to their room, colored pink and blue
He tucks them into bed and kisses their foreheads too
He goes downstairs to where his wife is at
%nd gives her a welcoming kiss, and begins to talk and
chat
They talk and watch T/, their fingers intertwined
Their everlasting love is just so sweet and kind
The littlest girl climbs down the stairs and claims she
had a nightmare
He tucks her into bed once more and she brushes her
hair
They whisper goodnight to her, trying not to wake up
her sister
%nd hands her favorite teddy bear and once again
kisses her
The parents go to bed and dream about their lives and
more
%nd couldn#t dream of anything else but the ones they
love and adore
.y .other
,ho#s the person who loves me more than anyoneK
,hen " was a baby she stayed awake with me in the
2;
middle of the night
% few years on she helped me brush my hair and get me
to school on time
&he set up play dates with my friendsH let me garden
with her
&he taught me about respect, and to love all creatures
,hen my first pet died, she and " cried together
&he taught me about fashion and boys
%t times when " was struggling in school, she pushed
me to do better
Now she doubles as a caretaker and a friend
&he takes time to listen to me when " talk for hours on
end
&he laughs at me
%nd does random and simple, on top as important,
things for me
&he#s there for me when "Em at the peak of success and
when " want to cry
This woman is my hero
This woman is my mother
Free /erse Poem
*nder the light bright moon
-eep within the forest
%nd surrounded by black pines
+ies a silver pool
Thrown by a human hand
% stone falls
"nto the silent silver pool
%nd cracks its surface
,aves of light
&hards of light
!ipple across the pool
%nd fall into the shadows
The shadows flutter
(onfused by the light
They seek refuge among the trees
%mong the darkness
The rays of light fade
The shadows are still
%nd deep within the forest
The silver pool lies still
Free /erse Poem
0ach step we take is closer to our death
,e are born out of nothing
$ut we fight to be something or someone
$ut in the end we still dead
No reason
No time wasted
No second without fulfilling our life
No wasted time
0ach second counts
0ach moment is a new memory
+ive life at its full
+ove life with each second lived
$ecause the second that has past won#t come back
Time is running out
+ife is like a bank that gives
$ut in the end it takes more than before
*nfinished things
*nsolved things
*nwanted desires
*ncertain love
Night
%n empty spiral of nothingness into the universe
% black hole engulfing all that is light
The moon replacing the sun
The reflection of the world seen in its massive craters
&tars by the billion
The stars are still not enough to light the universe
"n competition with everlasting darkness
%n undefined blob
'uiet and ominous
"t sprinkles drowsiness on the world
"nduces sleep and tran1uility
+ife
This painful love that " can#t push away
$ut " want to let go, it is like a war
,ithout reason, a mourn without tears,
% sentence without sense, loving without a
Heart, sharing the care and passion
,ithout reason and saying " love you
,ithout having you
!ainstorm
Hear the thunder crack noisily in the air
,atch the lightning flash across the sky
Feel the raindrops on your skin
&ee the pavement turn dark where the water hits it
2B
,atch as the wind blows the leaves on the trees
+ight candles when the lights flicker off
Hear the booming thunder get louder
,atch the lightning get brighter
+isten to the rain smack harder against the pavement
Then notice how it all stops
The sun pokes out behind the dark clouds
%nd a rainbow forms
The $each
Feel the wind on your face
The sand between your toes
Taste the salty air
,atch as the majestic waves crash down
+ook up at the seagulls flying overhead
&ee their footprints in the sand
+isten to the music playing in your head
Feel as though you#re in heaven
$uild a sand castle
,atch as it#s slowly melted by the waves
-ip your toes in the water
Feel a cold tingle on your skin
+ay beneath the sun
%nd feel the warmth it brings
Free /erse Poem
The world is a place filled with people,
People crying out for help
,ill you be there to help themK
or just turn your back,
Pretending that the world is fine
8ou pretend the world has no pain,
%nd bury yourself in blankets of denial
8ou begin to believe that no pain can touch you,
"f you choose to ignore it
$ut the reality isC
8ou#re setting yourself up to get hurt
%nd keeping you from feeling the good of helping
$e a superhero to those who need you to be one
Free /erse

The $each

Feel the wind on your face
The sand between your toes
Taste the salty air
,atch as the majestic waves crash down
+ook up at the seagulls flying overhead
&ee their footprints in the sand
+isten to the music playing in your head
Feel as though you#re in heaven
$uild a sand castle
,atch as it#s slowly melted by the waves
-ip your toes in the water
Feel a cold tingle on your skin
+ay beneath the sun
%nd feel the warmth it brings
The &how .ust )o on
The stage is set
The lights are bright
The actors have met
0verything seems to be right
The costumes are ready
The set has fresh paint
The nerves are unsteady
,e mustn#t be late
,e practiced the songs
,e danced till we#ll drop
,e#ve acted so long
,e can#t seem to stop
,e get into place
,e#re characters now
Our hearts begin to race
%s the orchestra begins to sound
The audience stops talking
The curtain begins to rise
The actors start walking
Our show has won the pri?e
Free verse
,aves crashing
Gids laughing
&and castles crafting
&kin tanning
$oys surfing
.usic playing
&un shining
Hair blowing
&eagulls flying
-olphins leaping
Fish swimming
2:
(rabs biting
$oats floating
3et skis speeding
&hell searching
/olleyball playing
Picnic eating
&unscreen applying
Flip@flops flopping
People smiling
+ove
+ove is something that can and cannot be touched
"t brightens and glows faces everywhere
"t is the key to joy and pure happiness
+ove develops out of passion and e5citement
+ove is family and friends
The tears, the laughs, the arguing fights are all worth it
in the end
" promise "#ll always be there with a shoulder to lend
Hold my hand and we#ll go through it all
Through thick and thin, we#ll never fall
%nd even if we do, we get back up and try again
The memories and the care for each other
For that is what love is about,
"t is a journey of failure and success
"t tests my patience and yours as well
%s long as you and " are together, and there for each
other,
,e can accomplish any goals and overcome all
hardships
$ecause that is what love is about
Free /erse
&omehow she cried out to me,
oh so early in the night
a yell, a scream it was a cra?y dream
a trip to kingdom come
to find paradise, utopia, is to find oneEs inner child
to release oneEs spirit from the mountain top
of seemingly endless disappear
but if you let it all go
you donEt need to know about the treasure and glory,
await
she reali?ed this and left, for she missed
her true inner self, she tried and tried
to release but for what cause it was done
it all alone turned to stone, she was as cold as a nun
where paradise, the fruit and tropics
the endless summer bree?e
the home of eagerness and hope
stumbled around, a jokes a joke and still
a paradise awaits
to find paradise, utopia, is to find oneEs inner child
to release oneEs spirit from the summitEs drop
of seemingly endless hope
but if you let it all go
you wonEt need to know about the treasure and glory,
await
she heard of these great lands, wondering how to go
reali?ed, forgetting she had no provisions
no food, she searched about and found out how
to go against oneEs will
her paradise, not so nice, was heaven after all
to find paradise, utopia, is to find oneEs inner child
to release oneEs spirit from the mountain top
of seemingly endless fear
but if you let it all go
you wonEt need to know about the treasure and glory
Free /erse
"t#s always open
"t#s always warm
There#s always kindness
There#s always love
"t shows no judgment
"t shows no fear
"t#s one of the strongest things
8et it#s still so gentle
"t#s always safe and inviting
"t shows no hate
"t shows no harm
"t#s a .om#s heart
&oldier
He was a soldier
He was also my grandfather
He was smart and caring
2D
He always looked out for me and my mom
" would sit ne5t to him conversing about sports
,e would watch movies
,e would swim in his pool
He would put his family before everything
He struggled to keep our family strong
One day he went to the hospital
He had developed cancer
" sat ne5t to him and it was so hard
&o hard to see him like this
He passed away the ne5t day on 3une 42st
He will always be remembered in my heart
He was my best friend
Football
Football is my everyday
8ou can play it, live it, and love it
&ometimes on the field you may feel like king
3ust to find out you can be taken down in an instant
That just gives you the fire to fight back
Then you work on it to get better
%nd when you get back to the field you shine
8ou#ve forgotten plays and get back to knowing them
,hen you remember you work to -2 caliber
,hen you make those wonderful plays you get it all
8ou soon make football and playing it your
masterpiece
Then you play college ball and forget your roots at
High &chool
,hen you make it through college you leave your
legacy
Then you make it to the NF+ and are remembered by
all
Free /erse
%nother day passes by
&lowly the nights grow long
The sun soars high in the eastern sky
%s the beasts sing their song
The elephants like trumpets play
The white winged birds take flight
,e watch the beginning of another day
The plains of %frica, a marvelous sight
The sands burn hot, in the dead of day
0ver long the sun burns bright
&tillness meets the land as all creatures in darkness lay
"n comes slowly, the creeping night
-usk is peaceful on the plain
Tomorrow will be much the same
Parents
(are so much for you
Feed you when you#re hungry
&helter you when you#re cold
Protecting your scared soul
)ive you money to have a joyful time
.ake you happy
)ive you lessons of how to live your life
Help you decide good from bad
Never give up on you
%lways forgive you
Never stop loving you
%lways there for you
Limeriks
The +ance -ance
There once was a young boy named +ance
,ho had lots of ants in his pants
He jumped and he twirled
He leaped and he swirled
Now everyone#s doing his dance
+imerick
There is a compulsive liar
He lies, and his nose gets higher
$ut he lies and lies
"t#s not very wise
0ven his pants are on fire
+imerick

There once was a chef that was blue
He had trouble making his stew
He added pepper and salt
$ut then had to halt
M(ause his pepper was labeled <&hampoo=
+imerick
Thee is a land filled with creators
They had sharp and scary features
,e went there one day
2F
&chool#s canceled you sayK
The monsters ate my math teacher
+imerick
There once was a kid with swine flu
People cringed when he snee?ed N%chooN
They all fled in alarm,
$ut to a pig farm
%nd now they all have it too
+imerick
There once was a group of good friends
0veryday they went out and spent
The money went dry
The bills were sky high
Their friendship has come to an end
+imerick
There once was a guy on a date
He hoped it would all go great
$ut then the waiter tripped
%nd the food tray flipped
&o they used the floor as their plate
+imerick
There was a man who slept all day
%nd when he woke up he would say
" am way too tired
,ho cares if "#m firedK
" don#t like my job anyway
+imerick
There once was a penny heads up
" found it ne5t to an old cup
" stored it away
On my desk to stay
%nd wound up getting a new pup
+imerick
There once was a man named +arry
His legs were really 1uite hairy
He fell on some tape
%nd tried to escape
%nd now his legs are 1uite scary
+imerick
There was a boy fling a kite
He went in to go get a bite
,hen he came back
%fter his great snack
He found that it was out of sight
Emulate an author0s st/le
-reams 6emulation of +angston Hughes# <-reams=7
Geep your dreams close
$ecause they can float away
+ife is like a butterfly
That will never stay
Geep your dreams close
$ecause when they disappear
+ife is like an open road
,ith a path so unclear

Geep +ove ,ith 8ou 6emulation of +angston Hughes#
<-reams=7
Geep love with you
For when love#s lush
Humanity is a young child
,ith a first crush
Geep love with you
For when love#s gone
Humanity is a wounded solider
+acking his brawn
)oals 6emulation of +angston Hughes# <-reams=7
Never let go of your goals
For if goals leave
8our life is an unplanted seed
Not able to sprout
Never let go of your goals
For when goals leave
+ife is a blank piece of paper
$oring with no meaning
0mulation of <The 3abberwocky=
29
MTwas frivious in the cluthy castle
with grimboles and gryles glarbing
% fraving maiden trapped by a frassle
&at locked in her chack larging
<(ome listen of the maiden, boy
(ome listen on and all
% victim of a plorthy plot,
This frassle must fall
The boy fripped home with flissil speed
He grabbed his shtarcle sword and shield
%nd frapled them with ease
<This frassle awaits,= he said and stracked out the door
He framped his way to the castle slacking every foe
,ith every step his fraygen took he was closer to the
castle#s gloor
The castle lorned in front of him
He pulled out his shtarcle sword
% grimbole starched out a 1uim
$ut it missed him by a 1uord
He worily stracked from room to room
He was 1uaesing for the maiden
The frassle slorched out at him
He flid behind a frume
The frassle splarched closer
He saw it in his shtarchle shield
The frassle splorched a proser
He knapped his sword and tield
The frassle was now spached
He fripped to the maiden
He and the maiden a kiss the snatched
*pon his laten fraygen
.usic (onnects *s 60mulating <Nothing )old (an
&tay=7
"n this world, we are alone
,e are smaller than we have ever known
"n this universe, it#s hard to make a sound
&o that then we can be found
To be heard above the noise
"n music, we find our voice
.usic unites us all
,ith it, we are no longer small
"nfected 60mulated &ick byI &hel &ilverstein7
<" don#t feel good at all=
&aid young 3ohnny .cPaul
<" have a tick and small po5,
" found dots, its chicken po5A
There are shooting pains up my left arm,
"n my head " hear alarms
.y toes cringe, my fingers ache,
"#m 2J9H "#m about to bake
.y eyes feel like they#re on fire,
Out my knee is a protruding wire
!emember that tickK "t#s +imes -isease,
"n my brain, " feel a bree?e
" constantly need to go number 4,
" swear " caught the &wine Flu
"t makes me sad, " feel so bad,
" can#t go to the game, "#m so madA
" just don#t want to infect@whatK
,hat#s thatK ,hat#s that you sayK
8ou say it was cancelled last &aturdayK
)#$ye "#m going swimming at the bayA=
People 6emulation of <+ife= by (olin Hunt7
People are like a bo5
8ou can pick them up and drop them off and yet you
cannot see them for who they are
&ometimes you think that you can change them
3ust to discover that they are very much the same
Then you get angry and throw the bo5 away
%nd you refuse to see or talk to them for months
$y the time you have a change of heart,
8ou have forgotten who they really were
&oon you remember a little bit and try to change them
once again
,hen you finally get somewhere
That really changes them for the better
They are so fragile that they collapse right in front of
you
%ll that is left is the memoryC
(asey at '$ 60mulating <(asey at $at= by 0rnest
+awrence Thayer7
The outcome of the game did not look very fine
First an incomplete pass, then a holding penalty on
number :9
&ome fans were booing, others were crying
"t seemed that the team just stopped trying
4J
%ll of the commotion seemed to come to a yield
,hen out of the locker room came (asey running to the
field
"t seemed he would not come back after taking a hard
hit in 1uarter number one
Now there seemed to be a chance since he could throw
a ball like a bullet out of a gun
The booing turned to cheers and the crying turned to
smiles
,hen (asey threw a first down to his receiver named
.yles
-own by five with three seconds left to play
The $ulldogs had a chance to win the game that day
(asey had the perfect play so he called it in the huddle
and the team yelled <breakA=
He knew a perfect pass is what it would take
(asey knew this play by heart, like riding a bike
He went down to the center and yelled out <hikeA=
(asey went back to throw but he had to break tackles,
which was not fun
He had enough of the bad blocking so he began to run
$ut at the last second he saw .yles in the corner of his
eye
He threw the ball so deep it seemed to touch the sky
The cheers turned back to boos and the smiles turned
back to crying
The fans were in disbelief and they felt like dying
People listening on the radio thought they were getting
bad reception
$ecause mighty (asey had thrown an interception
1alla2s

$allad
,hen &arah was five years of age,
&he saw a ballet dancer on T/
&he asked her parents for ballet shoes but their
happiness turned to rage
$ut &arah knew what she wanted to be
&arah screeched and &arah cried
&he told her parents if she didn#t dance she would die
,hen her parents invited over friends they would sigh
They just ignored her cries
(hristmas came
Of course &arah#s parents ignored her
$ut she didn#t care it was always the same
&o &arah decided to ask &anta, she started her letter
with <-ear &anta &irC=
$ut the shoes never came
&arah screeched and &arah cried
&he told her parents if she didn#t dance she would die
,hen her parents invited over friends they would sight
They just ignored her cries
&arah decided to take things upon herself and stole her
parent#s money
&he snick out at night
,hen she passed her parents they called her <honey,=
$ut &arah just left their sight
&arah screeched and &arah cried
&he told her parents if she didn#t dance she would die
,hen her parents invited over friends they would sigh
They just ignored her cries
&he saw the perfect pair of shoes
%nd as she crossed the street she stopped,
and remembered her parents drinking boos,
That car came and 3esus she will meet
&arah screeched and &arah cried
&he told her parents if she didn#t dance she would die
,hen her parents invited over friends they would sigh
They just ignored her cries
Her parents knowing it was their fault
$uried their daughter with the ballet shoes,
That they bought
They promised to never again drink boos
&arah screeched and &arah cried
&he told her parents if she didn#t dance she would die
,hen her parents invited over friends they would sigh
They just ignored her cries
$allad of Two $rothers
Two brothers stand arguing
%s brothers often do
42
They fought, they argued and they hit
Though parents told them not to

$ut these two were the closest
Two brothers could be
They did everything together
.ade each other happy

The two grew up together
"nto two strong men
These brothers, two best friends
,ere no longer ten

,ar came and the two were drafted
To fight side by side
They left together, these two strong men
To help their losing side

They fought together, won together
One never leaving the other
They helped turn the tide of war
&trengthening the bond with each other

Then one dreadful day of war
One saw death shadowing the other
%nd threw himself in front of it
To save his younger brother

The younger one was now aware
He was watching his brother die
<" love you= were his final words
He then began to cry

The younger one returned home
Triumphant like the others
$ut he had lost his on true friend
The one he called brother

Freedom 6On the Holocaust7 6ballad7
The soldiers were drafted
To fight in the war
They didn#t choose to be fighting
$ut they#re country, they couldn#t ignore
They marched into )ermany that year
Fighting day to day
They came among cities and towns
They were told there was any other way
$ut then they came to a place
They had to persist
&uch horror and devastation
How could this even e5istK
,hat was called camps
&eeing it was hard to cope
They helped the oppressed
To the trapped they brought hope
%lthough they had to fight and
They didn#t sign up for this war
,hen they looked at the faces they freed
They knew some things are worth fighting for
$allad
On a sturdy brown branch
,ay up high in a tree
&its a nest with an egg
,here no one can see

% mother bird is perched
On top of the nest
Geeping her egg warm and safe
Never will she rest

The egg slowly cracks
% baby bird appears
The mother bird is enlightened
%nd chirps out a cheer

%s the baby gets strong
.other bird knows best
"t is not the right time
To push her out of the nest

On a sturdy brown branch
%t a very high height
The new baby bird
Has taken its first flight

The $oy in the Time of ,ar
There was a boy in a time of war,
That wished the fighting would end,
For it had taken his father,
His mother#s heart would not mend
The little boy wanted peace,
%nd happiness to return,
44
$ut it was every night and day,
For his father he would yearn
,hen the enemy soldiers came,
To take over his town,
The look he had upon his face,
Turned into a frown
They put the people in a group
*p against a wall,
Then the little boy cried out,
<&top, don#t kill us allA=
<" am a boy in a time of war,
That wants the fighting to end,
For it has taken my father,
.y mother#s heart will not mend=
<,hy do you hate us so muchK=
<,e#ve done nothing to you,
This war started as something small,
%nd then the hatred grew=
<Please good sirs, put down your guns,
%nd return to your land,
Help to stop this pointless fighting=
<" hope you understand=
<He#s right= The enemy captain said
<This boy#s wisdom has shown=
<For he has said the very thing,
That all of us have known=
<He#s just a boy in a time of war,
That wants the fighting to end,
For it has taken his father,
His mother#s heart will not mend=
Then the enemy soldiers left,
%ll because of a boy,
% boy whose words had saved his town,
%nd brought his mother joy

Sonnets
8ou
To you it is hard to compare
0yes like a full harvest moon
8our beautiful flowing hair
8et nothing is better than seeing you soon
,ithout you " would despair
,hen " see your face " seem to swoon
For nothing about you needs repair
"t is only you whom " wish to croon
% voice sweet and sonorous in every way
How much longer will we be apartK
"f only " could spend time with you everyday
" love you with every beat of my heart
8ou are whom my heart is longing for
" shall never be the same as " was before
&adness
&adness fills my heart
"t fills all the cracks
%way all happiness darts
%ll brightness turns to black
*ntil nothing is left
3ust the darkness
"t commits theft
&tealing all but sadness
" am all alone
&tanding in the dark
"t seems light has never shone
Then " hear the voice of a lark
%nd the sun comes out to shine
Now happiness is mine
&onnet 60mulation of <" Too &ing %merica= by
+angston Hughes7
" sing for %merica
,e all sing to be free
Though freedom is not free
,e pay a price for liberty
"t#s not where " sit
"t#s not where " stand
,hether black, blue, white, or yellow
,e all have the same reasons
"t comes from the history of !osa parks
"t comes from the statements of .artin +uther king
$ut comes from the voice of Obama, our king
,e, he, she, it, they
Hey, " too sing for %merica
(ause " too am free
4>
/aluable
8ou are too valuable to give away
,e cannot waste time
For you are why " am writing today
To tell you how much you mean to me through this
rhyme
8ou are practically flawless in every aspect
8ou donEt get mad at me when " make fun
8ou treat me with so much respect
%nd for this you deserve more than the sun
8ou are most definitely not unheeded
8our hair dances in the wind,
,hose strength is not needed
to bring out your beauty from within
%s " finish writing this sonnet
" am easily imagining you to be as brilliant as a shining
comet
4;