This week we read Frank O'Hara's poem "Today" and examined the way he uses details to "make a poem a surprise." We talked about how the tiny, seemingly insignificant details of our days make each one interesting, and how in the end it's the details we carry with us. The students wrote their own "Today" poems, looking for the surprising details in their own days.

Ms. Askounis's Class

Poem
by Qua'Vyana F.

Early morning 6:00 AM
ponytails, lamp, radio
hair, flatirons, hair style
toothbrush, facewash, shower

Daily routine for now on
Uniform, shoes, and socks
Clean room, get keys, and backpack
Bus fare, timing the bus

This is how I'm living
Somedays it's good
Others I don't feel like going to school
But in the end it's always okay

Today
by Torkeshea B.

on the Bus the
driver stopped at
every Green light

When I Got
to school
Detention

When I Came
up to class
my hand started
Bleeding

All these things
add up to a
wonderful day

Today
by Rodolfo L.

Oh! Trucks, cars, vans!
Snow here and there. Snow up there
and down here.

Red lights, Yellow lights, green lights
Red stop signs, yellow signs that
say yield.
 

Ms. Koerner's Class

Poetry
by Donald W.

When I was coming
to school I saw chunks
of ice I saw cats, dogs walking
around.

I saw a CTA train and
Buses that had snow on them I saw
some icicles hanging off the
roof, I saw a car slip on the ice
and scratch the side of a car, They
do have meaning.

Chicago
by Takeyia H.

Mom houses, growling ugly
dogs, school old people,
snow dead flower, books,
bookbags, teachers, little
kids.

And this is a common
day, day in Chicago.

Today
by Lejason N.

I saw cars, buildings
homeless, and many other
things. There are squirrels, birds,
and dogs walking around,
There are junky cars, big cars,
trucks, snow, old cars,
cars driven by old mans.
Salty cars. Cars covered in
snow, Markets, JJ Peppers,
dirty markets, cereal, Eating
with the cow/milk and crunchy.
Cars that can go fast like
a cheetah. I walk to school
by car someone caught my
attention dudes talking. All
these things aren't important.