Hands on Stanzas | The Poetry Center of Chicago

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

Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Mr. David Maring
Teachers: Mrs. Tighe
School: Pilgrim Lutheran School

I am Everything
a poem by Sam T., Grade 4
I am the last diamond on the planet
I am a canyon being carved by time and a river
I am a test with an A+
I am a dragon flying by the moon
I am a water bottle filled with hot lava
I am every wrong note played by an instrument
I am a book on a bookshelf covered in dust
I am the forest swaying in the breeze
I am the road flattened by passing trucks and cars
I am a red marble in a bag of blue marbles

read more »

	Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence Principal: Mr. David Maring Teachers: Ms. Sobjack School: Pilgrim Lutheran School The Computer a poem by Sean D., Grade 5 I have one face but no eyes I get sick on viruses my eyes are the program I go to sleep when someone shuts me off. When I get mad I do not respond My web cam is my eye the mic is my mouth read more »

Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Mr. David Maring
Teachers: Mrs. Tighem
School: Pilgrim Lutheran School

The Chair
a poem by Skye Z., Grade 4
I am strong and smelly
a pink crumpled thing sits on me
everyday. All the time.
I would sometimes rather die
than live when that sits on me.

I live in an old blue house
with pink curtains and see through
perfume bottles on the table in front of me

Sometimes my skin is wiped up and
tossed into a monster's mouth, and gets
taken out after the monster stops growling

people think being a chair would be terrible
but I am just used to it.

Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Mr. David Maring
Teachers: Ms. Sobjack
School: Pilgrim Lutheran School

Dream
a poem by Sofia S., Grade 5
The cat is terrifying to the birds
who lie down and watch him.

The horror movie is terrifying to the
little boy who watches
The F- the girl who studied so hard
got is terrifying to her, only her.

The 20 chapter book is terrifying to
the illiterate man of 40.
The dream of acting up on a stage is terrifying
to the dreamer.

The dream the dream I have to be a
poet is terrifying to dream of, I feel frozen
when my hand tries to move across the
page. Terrifying.

Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Mr. David Maring
Teachers: Ms. Sobjack
School: Pilgrim Lutheran School

The Last Meal
a poem by Violet U., Grade 5
She standing there
making food for all
of us I thank her but
no one else does
She stands there lonely and
bored I want to help and
I do, standing there
watching eagerly
Thank you, why?
I miss her laugh
I never make her laugh
I never want to make her angry
stirring and mixing, churning, cooking
in our eccentric kitchen, in our
austere kitchen, with the cups and
pans and the plates. I'm thirsty
for water hungry for food
I flip the food I turn the rice

read more »

Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Mr. David Maring
Teachers: Ms. Kathy Tighe
School: Pilgrim Lutheran School

Ink
a poem by Zac A., Grade 4
Ink
Zac Arrizola

I am the creamy cream cheese on an onion bagel.
I am the ink of a quill pen.
I am a martial eagle spinning in the African air
I am the heat of a burning fire
I am the death of a 12-point buck
I am the clouds rolling with thunder.
I am the used-up light bulb lying in the trash can
I am the creamy cheese and burned crust of macaroni and cheese.