Skip to main content

Learning Together

Tonight we had a small group of Dream Keepers writing and connecting. The younger students wrote acrostic poems. The high school students used headlines from popular magazines to write poems.  Natalie took a headline about Jessica Simpson to write her poem, She's Proud of Her Body. Before our hour was over, the High School students were delighted by a surprise visitor—Wisconsin State Senator Lena Taylor. State Senator Taylor encouraged the young people to work hard and send her their poems!

Both groups of students made it their mission to teach me about words and music. No matter which way you slice it, there's a lot of learning going on at Dream Keepers! If you know any young people who might be interested in writing, please send them to Atkinson Library on Monday nights.

Enjoy the poems,
Rochelle

She's Proud of Her Body
by Natalie Branch

She was used to society controlling her image.
They didn't care what she wanted or how she was feeling.
They knew what the buyers wanted to see.
They didn't know where the frustration would lead.
They did what they thought was best for her.
And so did she—by creating the new and improved her.
She's slightly larger and isn't the same.
Eye candy, but she couldn't be more fine and dandy.
She loves herself and isn't intimidated by anybody,
She is truly proud of her body.


Birthday
by Ashley

Birthday
Reputation
Ice Cream
Too much
Honey Cakes
Ding Dongs
Ashley
Too Sweet
Pinata
All the sweets in the world
Raining Sweets
Too Loud
Yes! My present!


Pig Pen
by Lamar

P The pig is too fat.
I  I know they eat a lot.
G Gate gets crushed
P When Pigs fight each other
E Earthqquake
No food, no home, no pig pen.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Six-word Scary Stories

We've done six-word memoirs. Tonight the Dream Keepers wrote six-word scary stories. Read and enjoy! (Then write and submit your own in the comment field!) A vampire destroys the city with power. —Tramonta Garner (pictured above) One virus. One town. No survivors. —Jaimee Bogard-LaMar, 14 One girl. Many monsters. What's next? —Jaimee Bogard-LaMar, 14 Big zombie eats eyeballs. City blind. —Elisha Branch, 14 One house. One family. Both gone. —Elisha Branch, 14 Knock, knock. Who's there? Killer mysterious. —Derranesha, 12 Baby cries. No answer. What happens? —Derranesha, 12 Ring, ring. "Hello." Please help me. —April, 12 The spooky monster ran towards me ... —Sonya, 17 The worm crawls into the brain. —Sierra The slippery, slimy monster grabs two. —Quintoya Eskridge

On Beauty

Last night we read poems and essays about beauty in the book edited by Iris Jacob called, My Sister's Voices: Teenage Girls of Color Speak Out. The girls wrote poems in response.  Standards of Beauty by Natalie Branch I’m that girl who never fits in. I’m not fat nor am I thin. I’m an African American with light skin. When I walk out the house, I’m full of curiosity— Not knowing what others will think of me. Some may be jealous, others furious. Me, I’m just curious. My confidence isn’t low; it’s not high either. My emotions are building up—like a deadly fever. People like me because of who I am. People hate me because I’m not like them. Sometimes I ask myself: should I stay the same, or become someone else? That’s something you will never again hear me say. People say change, but I stay the same. I am me, and I was born this way. And this is how I will stay. Yo! I’m sayin’! by Deanna Branch Q: Why you wear yo’ hair like that? Yo! I’m sayin, My hairstyle reflects my personality. When...

Writing to Protest

Last Monday we listened to protest music and wrote our own versions of protest poems. Two of the teens finished poems to share with you. Both poets write from another point of view. The first poet takes on the challenge of revealing one's true self. The second poet takes on the traditional values for women. After you read these poems, think about this: what do you want to protest? Write it down. Take A Look by Aliza Mendoza, age 16 Who am I? When you look at me what do you see? Shy and quiet girl. Would you believe me when I say It's just a show. Should I tell you my story to make you understand. Should I shed this pretense and show you who I really am. Should I let the tears fall to show how much it hurts. Should I pull up my shirt for the scars to appear. Should I cut myself just to prove I'm still here. Look at me now. Who am I? Let me know, so I can prove you wrong. It's not me you see but someone else, totally different. Can I touch your arm and you can feel my ski...