American poet and novelist, Richard Brautigan was the inspiration for this week's writing. We read his short poem, Poker Star, and discussed its meaning―the central image of the poem, as well as what may have inspired Brautigan to write it. Students were then given one playing card apiece face down. Once everyone had a card, they flipped them over, and brainstormed for five minutes to create a list of words based on numbers, colors, suits, and pictures on their cards. Once they had their lists, they worked the words into their poems, which did not have to make sense.

Here are some of the most imaginative poems. Great job, everyone!

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Kate B.

I see flying hearts & long
green beautiful grass. White long
vines growing. An angel with
white wings. A picture of
a kid with wings. Many
different kinds of birds.

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Monica L.

Look!
Look at this red nine of diamonds
It's light as can be
When you let it go watch it flutter
quickly
The unusual I and H sit there staring
straight ahead not caring.

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Devon R.

I have an 8 of diamonds
it's a light red color.
On the front it looks like
an angel flying.
It's beautiful.
I go all-in.

Diamonds
Natalie Z.

diamonds are sparkly
shapes of floating
squares sideways
inside colorful flowers
shading in the air
with glitter sparkling
around

My Spade
Jazmin Z.

My card makes a W.
if you turn it sideways
it looks like fishes swimming;
also they look like train tracks
that are split in half. In the
middle of the C it is a flower.
My card is 7 when you flip it
upside down it looks like an
                    L

Mr. Sandlass, 4th Grade

A Diamond
Michelle A.

4 diamond above as a shape of
a square the reflection makes it
red like lava the stars shining above
like nothing before and that's all

Cupid
Jennifer H.

A cupid fly,
it hits the sky
in the old side
                      country.
Three white stars
blasting into rise.
The diamond drops,
it falls to ground,
four guys found the diamond,
and soon became famous.

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Racquel K.

The Jack reminds me of him
sitting like a King writing
a note with a feather wing
writing to his love with
hearts in front of his face
thinking about her in his mind he is thinking
about how kind she is. And I can't
stop thinking about her I can't blink
and you know why 'cause I'm a
card remember that.

The Fish
Andrew M.

      The arrow head is smooth
that leaflike pointy thing all black
disgusting that rectangular stick
it caught a fish
by a hook
that fish is a prize winner
a diamond it's worth
you can see the
heart of it
zap!
A stick in the heart
the fish is dead
it got put on the
prize winner
family tree

Games of Constellation
Angela Y.

As we look up in the sky
we see the constellation playing a game of
tag.
Animals of stars, things of stars run
around bumping into each other and
making crashing sounds.
Soon they get exhausted so they
get back to their spot and become the
constellation again.

Mrs. Goode, 5th Grade

Texas Hold 'em
Klea K.

The man is holdin' a blue
card. Can't see through it.
5 clovers on the table. He
starts lookin' at it. Dealer
dealin'. The man smiles.
What cha lookin' at? dealer
says. The 5 clovers. What
about it? dealer asks. I
see an X and V. On the
card? Yeah Dealer says.
Flip it ova. Fine dealer
says. I can see a cupid.
Oh yeah ridin' the bike?
Dealer says yeah. I see
da mermaids the man
says. Yeah the dealer says.
By da way who are you?
the dealer asks. I am the
card.

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Joseph M.

While the wind blows the sails go back
and forth. The trees blow while the leaves fall
and the birds fly. While my heart beats.
The happy angel hops a pogo stick.

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Muneeb Q.

In the fall leaves are down I'm running my heart
is pounding. The blue sky and the swirls a
cloud shaped like number 6. An angel in the sky
a mermaid in the sea. A plane without no
wings cupid shooting arrows just waiting for
fall to end.

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Toni S.

Colorful pictures all around
hearts and people lurking
around. Line patterns following
me I see sun shaped and
the number 5. I see
Chinese characters in a
box. Two triangles and X
that marks the spot.
The sand clock shows
time as the mermaids
swim.

A Card
Yara S.

      I see a heart I see an A it
reminds me of an apple because it's
red. It looks like a V upside down
it looks like lips and flame it looks
like an I there are people it's blue there
are birds it reminds me of the sky it looks
real the people have wings