Hands on Stanzas

Anthology of Student Verse
 
Welcome to the Hands on Stanzas Anthology of Student Verse. Thanks to the generous support of the Boeing Corporation this year's Hands on Stanzas Anthology has been published electronically allowing us to include a poem from each and every one of our students. That's close to 2000 poems this year!

To navigate the anthology either click the students’ grade level or the name of their school below.

Grade: 3  |   4  |   5  |   6  |   7  |   8  |   9  |   10  |   11  |   12

School:
Alcott Elementary
Belding Elementary
Bell Elementary
Burbank Elementary
George Washington Elementary
Richard Henry Lee Elementary
McPherson Elementary
Moos Elementary
Pilgrim Lutheran School
Price Elementary
Shields Elementary
Skinner Classical School
Solomon Elementary
Taft Academic Center
Tarkington School of Excellence
Walter Payton College Prep High School

 
Angela Kim, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Ms. Heather Yutzy
Teachers: Ms. Navrocki
School: Belding Elementary


The Flow
a poem by Abdelhadi A., Grade 4

Today I am a
horse galloping
around seeing
nothing but only
the ground yesterday
I was nothing but a
twig tomorrow I
am a giant
tree-
this morning I
was water flowing
through a stream
last night I
imagined I was
The world



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Angela Kim, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Ms. Heather Yutzy
Teachers: Ms. Navrocki
School: Belding Elementary


They Love the Birds
a poem by Adam D., Grade 4

They love the birds
Chirping at the beach
He loves the trees
Changing colors at spring they
Love poems by Lisa Jarnot she loves
The sound of the
Waves at the beach.
The wind blowing at
The trees
He loves to do
The work out
With nature.



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Angela Kim, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Ms. Heather Yutzy
Teachers: Mr. Merrill
School: Belding Elementary


I Am
a poem by Adrian J., Grade 4

I am an artist when I follow an alien
I am an artist when I find a face
In a cloud or watch the light
I change the shape of a Hill



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Angela Kim, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Ms. Heather Yutzy
Teachers: Ms. Navrocki
School: Belding Elementary


What I Do
a poem by Ahsan I., Grade 4

I am a brain struggling.
I am a shadow behind a bush.
I am a tree cooling down,
I am a ghost running around,
I am a hero rescuing an animal,
I am a hand that's catching,
I am a glass with water,
I am a game that is broken,
I am food that's warm,
I am a house that protects,
I am an animal eating,
I am a cats brain.
I am a horse's heart,
I am a duck in water,
I am the sun going down.



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Angela Kim, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Ms. Heather Yutzy
Teachers: Mr. Merrill
School: Belding Elementary


The Beautiful Person
a poem by Alex K., Grade 4

Who is shorter than a mouse
Who is prettier than the prettiest girl in the world
Who is smarter than Einstein
Who is cuter then a puppy sleeping
Who is cooler than me
Who laughs at everything like a broken record
Whose eyes are like the stars shining
Whose hair look like cloud hearts



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Angela Kim, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Ms. Heather Yutzy
Teachers: Ms. Navrocki
School: Belding Elementary


My Own Hawk
a poem by Alex M., Grade 4

I'm riding my own Hawk
He comes when I call
And leaves when I tell
Him to he doesn't try
To hurt me because
I am always nice...
When he is tired he has his
Own room and loves because
It is the perfect
Size for him...



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Angela Kim, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Ms. Heather Yutzy
Teachers: Ms. Navrocki
School: Belding Elementary


Who
a poem by Anthony F., Grade 4

Who is loud
Who is itchy left and right
Who is jumping up and down
Who is sleeping
In the basket
Who is laying in the grass
Reading the clouds
Who is cleaning itself
Who is walking on walls
Who is looking at a book
Reading for hours
Who is going home
From a walk
Very tired
Making a paper
Looking around
Saying goodbye
Going out
Playing
Having fun



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Angela Kim, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Ms. Heather Yutzy
Teachers: Mr. Merrill
School: Belding Elementary


They Love Mexico
a poem by Brandon G., Grade 4

They love Mexico
They love the sea
They love life
They love god
They love books, and bookmarks
They love to see, smell, hear and feel
They love the world,
They love Chicago's smell
They love the galaxy with all the planets and stars
But most of all they love me



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Angela Kim, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Ms. Heather Yutzy
Teachers: Mr. Merrill
School: Belding Elementary


Me, Myself and I
a poem by Chioma O., Grade 4

Today, I'm a river
Falling down a waterfall.
Just keep on falling.

Tomorrow, I'm a daisy,
Being ripped out of the
Ground.

Last night, I dreamt
Of being cuddled by my
Lovely mother. She said I'll
Be alright.

Yesterday, I was a book
Being slammed by a very
Furious child.

In the morning, a bird
Singing a beautiful lullaby.



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Angela Kim, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Ms. Heather Yutzy
Teachers: Mr. Merrill
School: Belding Elementary


Guess What
a poem by Christopher C., Grade 4

Who is it, 3 people and me,
Who is the floor with people
Over it, who is some one to
Care for? Our care is

Who cares about nurturing
Animals, we do, who likes
The open fields in the
Surge of joy, what is
The mystery of love
And family, no one
Knows, but we do.

We are the family of
Time, we are the
Family of best,
But one question
Who is the spark
Of life in us, which
Family, we are.



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