In Flower

3rd and 6th graders read William Carlos Williams' "A Locust Tree in Flower," looked at trees and imagined these poems:

Small world

There is a little world
on every single raindrop, trees
of every kind, falls slowly to the
ground, people all around, living
in the trees of every kind, a
town of twigs, people covered with
a leaf, sun of rain.

- unknown

I see
myself
covered
in snow
from the
time planted
to growing
old, time and
time drenched
in snow.

- Amante R.

The Tree in Which I Live

I flutter over
to my chipped old friend
fruity Wahoo
on Wahoo island where
the wahoo grow
yes, my chipped old frind
The fruity Wahoo
I build my house in the
fruity tree which I call my friend

- Zoe V.

Canada Hemlock in Winter

clinging
to
snowy
branches

souls
under
me

icy
icy
tree

waving
hi
to
me

- Claire F.

The Washington Hawthorn Tree

In
the
spring
the Washington
hawthorn
tree
looks
sad

feels
down

barely
no leaves

bent
over

in the
summer
it
feels
straight

- Esteban G.


The Sugar Mommy's Maple Tree

Inside
the
tree

Mouth
watering
Maple

My mom
goes to
the
tree

Taking
out the
Maple

think about
the Mouth
watering Maple
in my mouth.

Watch my
mom cooking
the Maple

Eating
it while
it is hot.

- Anthony T.

A Redbud Tree

pink
brown
growing from the ground

short
green
surrounded by trees

small house
green grass
the sky is going to last

white rocks
spring is back again

- Brittany M.

Oh Wahoo tree, oh, Wahoo tree

Oh, Wahoo tree, oh, Wahoo tree. Can't you stay red and
green all year? Stay skinny and still give fruit in sun
and dark? Who wants only white branches and
bark? Oh wahoo tree, oh Wahoo tree. Make
everything you have be.

- Sabrina H.

Balsam

Balsam x2 white x2 so white in the night
you are cold and white so white
in the night x2 in winter time
in the night x2 then its
spring time and you are green
with leaves and tall x2 so tall and
cool at night x2.

- Natalia S.

tall
beautiful
green and white
the smell of
the rainforest
crawls through my
nose
bright
amazing

- Stephanie T.

Oh, the paper birch tree in the winter you wear a white shirt, but you don't get to enjoy it because you are asleep. In the spring you wear light green. In the summer you are wearing green. In the fall you are yellow, brown, red, and orange. When there is nothing out, you are a plain paper birch tree.

- Ben K.

paper
birch
tree
skinny
as
can
be
tall
as
a
giraffe
with
no
leaves
so
pretty
and
white
lik
my
sleeves
with
a
grassy
background
like
moldy
cheese

- Darliah

If I was a tree I would feel very tall and reach high for the sky. I would hear birds singing in the morning. Wood pecker pecking on my wood trying to get the nasty bugs out of me.

- Allen L.

Fruiting Wahoo Tree

All around
red little
fruit

skinny
tall
bright

bright
little
fruit

waiting
to
come
in
spring.

- Paul C.

I'm a tree
that gives shade
when summer comes
I'm white, snowy cold in winter
In fall I lose
all my hair
In spring I grow my hair back
summer is the best time for people.
I'm always used for shade
as I give
they use.

- Tasia D.

oh tree oh tree don't
leave me let me see
that you're tall to me
we had fun you and
me come and stay
the tuliptree!

- Brian

The Canada Hemlock

Did you see an ever green so
clean so clean. In a cemetery sitting
just sitting there. And as years go
by it watches and watches the great
blue sky. And when it snows it's chilly
in the mist of the winds. And slowly it
falls into a nice cool sleep.

- Arden

A redbud tree

all along the green green grass

as the purple tree grow and grow
on the brown trunk again

- Tempestt

The Redwood

Redwood Redwood you're old and red
you're fine and tall you tell a story
for many years to come! Over the
hills you hide your lemon twist you
wait for the boy and you tell him
all you know but he doesn't listen
he i s a s l e e p !
When he wakes up you tell him "go"
Redwood Redwood what ever happened to
your wonderful spring glow!

- Delaney C.

Take a look at the concrete poetry written by 6th and 8th graders - I've transcribed the text below the images where I thought you might not be able to read it. Feast your eyes and minds!



- by Amber H. , 8th




Okay, now everyone is here, so now can someone tell me how to get them to GO AWAY!
- Daniel O. , 8th


- Amir B. , 8th



- Carlos M., 6th




- I don't know who wrote this one, but I dig it! I'll update when I find the author.



- Adam K., 8th



The sun is waiting for it to shine in the sky. The sun above us makes our eyes watery. The sun in the sky it gives me an idea of what school looks like during the day.
- Esteban G., 6th



I love where I live. It's so peaceful and quiet. We even sometimes have block PARTIES. They are really fun and we can throw eggs at houses and not get in trouble for it. I love my home. It is home for me maybe not for you.
- Eleysi P. , 6th




- Janisa L., 8th




- Tylisha S., 8th

- Alexis B., 8th

Enjoy these amazing pantoums, written last week by Alcott student poets!


Nothing else good for me
it's too salty
or too peppery
your words are hard to take

it's too salty
too many lies
your words are hard to take
I'm starving for truths

too many lies
what I hear is not too refreshing
I'm starving for truths
is there nothing more than this?

- Jasmine T. (8th)


Dancing on a cloud
when you're moon walking
seeing something like everybody is dancing
when you're dancing you will feel good

dancing on a cloud
when you see a mist you feel like
dancing on a cloud
kaboom, click, beep you hear

dancing on a cloud
'cause a bird is dancing
dancing on a cloud
get funky with your
self right now!

- Andrew (6th)


I dreamed of a dream
That was concealed in a bean
I placed it on the ground
And every body in town.

That was concealed in a bean
That had a troublesome dream
And every body in town
gathered around.

That had a troublesome dream
The little green seed
gathered around.
To see that little green bean turn red.

- Amante (6th)


Because I walk across the water
I think that I am dreaming
I skip and run and jump up and down
and see if its misleading

I think that I am dreaming
of a wonderful place to go
and see if its misleading
the reflection of the sunset i see it glow

of a wonderful place to go
I wish I could be there all day
the reflection of the sun set I see it glow
and it's a wonderful place to stay

- Krystal L. (8th)


The clouds are bright
so are you
and so am I
you are nice

the clouds are bright
we like you
you are nice
we are too

we like you
you are nice
we are too
everyone likes you

- Mohammed (3rd)


I watch the birds fly over the horizon
but the birds never see me
because I am hiding in the trunk of a willow tree
nobody is here except me

but the birds still never see me
I am waiting for the big rabbit
but nobody is here except me.
I can feel the wind in my hair

I am still waiting for the big rabbit
I am getting hungry and tired
I like to feel the wind in my hair
then the big rabbit comes but I'm
fast asleep.

- Delaney (3rd)


I smell burning squirrels
burning, burning
I smell guts!
I taste meat!

burning, burning
A runover squirrel!
I taste meat!
I eat and eat

A runover suirrel
It tastes good!
I eat and eat
I am happy

- Joe (3rd)


The bird flew in the morning sky
He wishes he wasn't alone
His wings soar reaching for the peaks
He sees every one

He wishes he wasn't alone
A sign of hope comes
He sees everyone
He soars and soars

A sign of hope comes
Happiness comes
He soars and soars
He has freedom

- Ezekiel O. (8th)


yellow leaves flow around your head
because the wind blows them around
red ones crunch under your feet
they get stuck in your hair

Because the wind blows them around
they make a carpet on the ground
red ones crunch under your feet
this is the third day of fall

they make a carpet on the ground
a magic flying carpet
this is the third day of fall
this is the third day of fall.

- Avery (3rd)


When the room is going around
Falling on pillows
Looking at the light
and going to sleep.

Falling on pillows
looking at my sister
Going to sleep
dreaming about pizza

Looking at my sister
she's eating apples
dreaming about pizza
My mom came and brought me pizza.

- Anthony T. (6th)


I'm like the sunshine in your heart
You make me feel as sweet as a pea
when you say I love you I feel like a peach.
When you're around me the world means nthing to me.

You make me feel as sweet as a pea
We feel the breeze through our feet
When you're around me the world means nothing to me.
You always take me for who I am

We feel the breeze through our feet
We dance we sing to the beat
You always take me for who I am
I wish you were here to hear how I feel.

- Darliah (6th)

The shiny sun is shiny
The Earth has water
The moon is dark
The sun is light to me

The Earth has water
Dark and light
The sun is light to me
Earth is cool

Dark and light
Earth is cool
Earth is cool
and Sun and Moon

- Rudy (3rd)