“Stains” by Mischa W.
Bruises on both our knees
A hug or two
A funny feeling
A spark waiting to be kindled
Secrets in our eyes
Waiting to be uncovered
A laugh, a game
Kids forever
Just a game
It's just a game
“Daughter” by Mischa W.
(content warning: death and reincarnation)
Her eyes reflect the stars
She is so close, I can touch her
But I know she is far away
She is a thousand people
Her smiles reflect the pain
Of everything that hasn't happened yet
She knows what it's like
To be someone dead
And while I love her
I cannot tame such a creature
Such a girl who was never mine
And I will never find her.
"How to make the perfect day" by Luana
Get up with a yawn
Stretch your limbs
Make a sun out of lemony brightness
Pour in happiness
Sprinkle in curiosity
Stretch a smile on and and watch the dawn
The golden light filling the world
Put in friends and family
A dash of love will do
Put in conversations and talk
The great outdoors needs to be made
Sprinkle in songbirds
Let the whispering wind fly in
Drop in trees and flowers
A layer of dirt and grass too
Pour in a river, with glistening water
Take a stroll through this paradise
Pour in some wonder
This day is almost done so add a moon, filled with craters
The blue shine in the bright sky
Move the sun and moon
This is your perfect day
"How to make the perfect night" by Luana
Push down the sun
Make sunset come
Stretch out a dark night sky
Sprinkle in stars made out of a bright light
Capture a bright blue glow and mold it into the moon
Make craters and holes
Drop in a couple of rocks too
Oops! You spilled the stars!
Well, now we have the Milky Way
Make countless constellations
Throw in a bright streak of light
A shooting star!
Let in a gentle breeze to slightly shake the trees
Throw in the sound of chirping crickets
Gently place a nest or two
And a couple sleeping birds will do
Now, you have a full night
Snuggle up in bed
Yawn and close your wary eyes
Sprinkle in sleep and pour in dreams
This is your perfect night
What is in the Redwood Forest?
Slugs as yellow as bananas, birds with feathers as blue as the ocean.
Squirrels chasing each other, crows cawing at all the commotion.
Trees as tall as some buildings, here for over 500 years,
Sometimes hiding in plain sight, home to squirrels, birds, and deer.
Getting destroyed, rebuilding with pride,
Here for the woodpeckers, who are living inside.
Animals and plants are hidden in these trees,
You might find marbled murelets flying out to sea.
Come and visit me.
-Alessandra
"and nothing else" by Zoe
The gray of the sky and the cars and my shoes
and the blue of the puddles and the shadows and the flowers
and the yellow vest of the crossing guard and the green trees and the greener grass
and the white concrete under my feet
and the feeling of vertigo and sickness and pain
and the sounds of cars honking and people singing
and the consuming light of the blanket of the dusk
and the soft touch of the arms of the night
and the soft air, the pricking drops of rain on my arms
and the black walls of the lids of my heavy eyes
and the familiar embrace of the world around me
and nothing else.
WriteNOW students experimented with some short forms of poetry in class. Here are some quick cinquains!
Listen…
…to the chirps of the birds.
Cars cruising down the road.
Hear the wind hitting the trees,
and just listen.
-Arlo
Look up
The sun is bright
Lighting our lives today
And tomorrow and yesterday
hooray
-Julien the Pokemon Enthusiast (he/him)
Look down,
Spread your wings wide,
Then dive, with all the wind
Supporting you to victory
Just fly
-Julia
don't look
no attention
to spare and some things are
better off not being seen so
don't look
-Zoe
Quiet.
Hear the birds sing.
Wind blowing in the trees.
Light rain with sunshine and flowers.
It's Spring.
-Alessandra