Here's a glimpse of what we've been up to for the past couple of weeks at Alcott:


Last week, the 8th graders read Pat Mora's "Mango Juice," and used this poem and a discussion of food and memories to inspire their own poems. Here are two selections for you to enjoy:


Eating watermelon
on a picnic bench
is having fun with
a sense of security
as each one of your
cousins are 10 times
bigger than you and
ready to spit seeds at anyone
who screws up this day.

- Alex B.


Biting a Peach

When you take your first
bite of the peach you
feel the warm fuzzy
hairs on your chin
and the orange color of juice swimming
down your mouth.
Taking you back to the
old summer days, when
the air smelled warm
and the sky had all
its stars placed in
shiny white dots.
Where you would run down to the creek and
splash in the cool summer
water.

- Amber


6th and 8th graders have also been discussing different emotions, and writing poems inspired by Denise Levertov's "Talking to Grief." Here are a few selections:


Death,
it runs after you with its night stick and cuffs and beamers, runnin' after you, 100 of the same won't stop won't be denied, you can run, you can cry, you can be brave, but it has no sympathy, ultimately you'll have to face it.

- Elijah (8th)


envy is the cat that sturts
past my house every day.
with your tail up high and
straight and glowing fur.
as you sing to the moon
with your oh-so wonderful
voice. Every bobcat follows
you just to see your graceful presence.

- Dominique (8th)


Love is like a blue rose whose petals are live and happy. A valley of green unseen by blades and afraid.

- Amante (6th)


Last week, the third graders created some amazing concrete poems. Look for images of those in my next post! Until then, read some selections of the wonderful haiku they wrote the previous week...


A blue sky
playig ball with the sun
winning by 5 points.

- Sammy


Fall leaves fall,
crunch, crackle
pop under feet.

- Natalia


the skis spraying snow at the trees
the snow bounces while the
skiers go by

- Cameron


Wind, wind,
blowing through the air.
The loudest hush everywhere.

- Sabrina