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: Deborah Clark
Teachers: Yamini Ramakrishnan
School: Skinner Classical School


Acrobat
a poem by Adanna B., Grade 5

Don't fall on the string
Be careful, catch yourself
Don't let go
Be straight, and tight
if you fall don't worry
enjoy the time you have
Don't hurt the elephant
let the clown be
Study your moves
Smile to the crowd
balance yourself
Never look down



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Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Deborah Clark
Teachers: Sharon Rosenzweig
School: Skinner Classical School


On My Way to Neverland
a poem by Ajané D., Grade 5

In my house
through my closet door
Neverland awaits me
There throughout the
town I love my home
awaits me for many years
I've sneaked away and lived
there, my home, baby blue
mansion, thousands of floor
24 bedrooms and many more
I adore, live, eat, sleep, do
whatever. Captain Hook's
kitchen is waiting for me
all is real giant sundaes,
sprite, many cute pieces of
clothing, palaces high & tall
for me and only me
Neverland awaits me.



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Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Deborah Clark
Teachers: Sharon Rosenzweig
School: Skinner Classical School


The Frozen Lake
a poem by Amiya C., Grade 5

Who would want to go to the lake in winter?
I would.
The beautiful lake.
In the winter nobody is at the lake.
The water under the ice goes
whosh trying to get air
Whosh
then summer comes
People, why go to another lake.
I do whatever I can to get silence
When it's summer all I remember is
whosh-whoo-whosh-whoo-whosh-woo



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Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Deborah Clark
Teachers: Kevin Lewandowski
School: Skinner Classical School


The Conversation
a poem by Annie M., Grade 5

Robinson Jeffers:                                     William Butler Yeats:

You and your clay                                      You and your
house.                                                          wooden house



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Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Deborah Clark
Teachers: Sharon Rosenzweig
School: Skinner Classical School


My Nana
a poem by Aria B., Grade 5

My nana everyday goes to the store and buys food
but she doesn't eat it. She crumbles it and gives it to
the birds

She used to love cats. She would let the homeless cats
in her neighborhood eat the cat food she buys them. Because
she felt bad for them she also loves ultra scary
movies because my cousins do. She wakes up at 8:00
and does crossword puzzles and drinks coffee. But I still
love her.



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Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Deborah Clark
Teachers: Yamini Ramakrishnan
School: Skinner Classical School


The Channel
a poem by Arjuna L., Grade 5

The channel was a long metal
and concrete tube.
It smelled of smoke and
dead fish dead from the
red algae that rudely took their
life away.
Seaweed dangled from the entrances
like the worms on rusty hooks left
in the water endlessly.
Smoke was smelled thickly through
the pipe of concrete, smoke from
the dumb teenagers' cigarettes they
had left in the water.
The inside of the channel was silky
and soft, soft of the thick white
spider web, filled with shad flies
dead or alive, the annoying pests



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Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Deborah Clark
Teachers: Yamini Ramakrishnan
School: Skinner Classical School


Mom
a poem by Ashanti A., Grade 5

I don't want to be here right now
I don't feel good
It's my head it hurts like an orchestra
banging its drums
I'm hungry lunch is 45 minutes away
I'm bored, wish I had my dsi
Oh Mom, I hope your day is better than mine.
I hope you're not bored at your desk
like I am at mine
I hope your head isn't banging like thunder
I hope you're not praying until your lunch break
like me.



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Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Deborah Clark
Teachers: Kevin Lewandowski
School: Skinner Classical School


The Day Our Hearts Turned Gray
a poem by Ashley L., Grade 5

We all were sad, but also
glad. We were all so very
sad. We knew he was
in a better place, but
it was painful to know he
was no longer here. It
was a warm and
rainy day, the air smelled
like a dry, damp, and
foggy forest.

We were all heart-
broken, O we were so
sorrowful.

I will never forget
that gray colorful day.



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Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Deborah Clark
Teachers: Yamini Ramakrishnan
School: Skinner Classical School


The Plain Farm Lands
a poem by Austin L., Grade 5

I will go and go now to the farm lands,
build a farm of wood.
Lots of fruits up and down the aisles, a hive
for the bees.

I will have peace there, the peace doesn't stop.
Wherever I go, I hear the grass rustling
During the morning birds clap; at noon
the sun is full and says hi; in the evening
the purple glow of the moon comes.



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Cate Whetzel, Poet-in-Residence
Principal: Deborah Clark
Teachers: Kevin Lewandowski
School: Skinner Classical School


Advice to My Enemy
a poem by Azana W., Grade 5

Don't fail or kill,
don't yell or wail,

Don't be an enemy
be a friend be a
caregiver, lover, or
just kind.

There is no need
for war like in
Afghanistan we can
be plain old friends

Instead of tug of
war hug of love where
you love and hug and
kiss not tug

We could go on picnics
with cookies and cake
there would absolutely
be no hate

Our friendship would
be so strong the whole
dang world would tag
along

Be a carer
be a lover
be a friend



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