Inspired by the teaching of Kenneth Koch, and his brilliant books “Rose, Where did you get that Red” and “Wishes, Lies and Dreams,” our oldest students explored their poetic talents, some for the very first time. Each class began with a mini-lesson, which included reading and discussing poems written by other children on the topic. Mini lesson topics included: A favorite toy, the third eye (which can see what the other two regular eyes could not see and was only open when they were closed!) Native American celebratory poems, and “I used to be, but now I am.” Towards the end of the unit students were challenged to write a poem inspired by listening to Dave Bruebeck’s Trolley Song and finally they wrote a poem to express their thoughts and feelings about Global Warming.

The Mall by Leah Jarrett

Old arcades, closed stores, rotten bowling alleys

Faded colors and patterns

Every old place tells a story

It doesn’t matter how old 

Or how decayed

They don’t lose it 

The mall sits alone and empty

But that doesn’t take the memory of the happiness that was once there 

Music flows from the instrument store

And sweet smells come from the bakery 

Bright wallpaper and colorful lights

Help guide people into the arcade

Fat computers sit in a window

Many colorful boxes sit on the shelves of a grocery store

People rush around, looking for a specific shop

Kids stare into the large display window of a toy store

A baker hands out cookies to passing shoppers 

A community that is now gone

Now there’s faded wallpaper

Now there’s expired food 

Tossed around the store 

Now it’s dark and damp 

Now there’s graffiti and smashed glass 

Everywhere you look 

Now there’s plants

Growing in the light of the sun 

Shining through the holes in the ceiling

Now fountains are empty

The coins stolen by trespassers

The water drained

Now there’s bird nests and shelter for small animals

Now there’s peeling paint and broken machines 

Now there’s construction equipment

And workers exploring the vast space 

Animals run 

Walls crumble

Plants get crushed

Glass shatters 

Now there is nothing

Black Belt by Auggie Niederhoff

Black Belt

Belt of darkness

Signifying greatness

The color of pitch

With a stripe the color of shining blood

A broken board as testimony that

This belt has been earned

My heart soars as I first tie it on

Later there’s a party to celebrate

With food and drinks and merriment

We run and jump and eat and drink

My friends and I, we worked so hard

To get to this joyous moment

A belt of darkness

Signifying greatness

I have earned this