For their fourteenth poetry lesson Haugan 8th graders experimented with question poetry, where poets ask a series of questions as a form of self-reflection and deeper meaning. They were asked “Why do people ask questions?” and “Does every question have to have an answer?” Most students thought that people ask questions because they’re curious about the word and wanted to gain new knowledge. We also discussed rhetorical questions, questions that are often asked to emphasis a point or create an effect “Why is the sky blue?” Other types of rhetorical question are asked without expecting a clear answer such as “What’s the meaning of life?” or “What happens after death.”
Together we read and discussed the poem “India,” by Sandeep Kaur, who was a teen poet featured in the WritersCorps anthology Tell the World. In her poem Kaur directly asks questions to India, the country of her birth. India why didn’t you tell me to stay in your arms?/ Why didn’t you come with me?/ Why can’t I see you from my window? From these questions students concluded that Kaur feels lonely and homesick. She misses the country that not only holds her memories but gave her a sense of identity and belonging.
Inspired by Sandeep Kaur, students wrote their own question poems containing no answers. But allowing the readers to interpret the answers for themselves. Please enjoy this week’s published poems.
Ms. Thomas 8th Grade
Group 1
Covid-19
By: Angela G.
You have ruined so many people’s lives…
Why would you kill so many innocent lives?
Is it necessary for you to put other people’s lives at risk?
Why did you ruin summer and special holidays?
Do you know how many people died because of you?
Is it fun to put so many people in pain?
Why would you make everybody wear masks just to go out?
Why won’t you just let us live life the way we want?
Is it really okay to be everywhere waiting for someone to interact with you?
What is the purpose of all this?
When will you leave and let us and have life the way we had before?
Why Earth
By Jovany M.
Earth, why make it so cold and colder every winter?
Earth, why make it so hot and hotter every summer?
Earth, is it revenge for what we have done on this planet?
Earth, why does it snow way before Christmas when it supposed too?
Earth, why does it take so long to end the cold?
Earth is there a way to reverse winter and summer so it can be normal?
Earth, show a way that we can help what has been done harm to and fix it.
Life
By Angel S.
Why are we born young?
Why is life hard?
Why are we growing just to die?
Why are there bad people in life
Is there a point in growing?
Why do we grow old?
Why is life so hard?
Why do we get hurt in life?
Why are there so many people?
How many people have we seen in our lives?
Why is life so hard?
Why?
By Bryant V.
Why did you leave me?
Why do you live far from me?
Why did you have to go?
Why didn’t you take me with you?
Why were you the best cousin?
Why were you so fun to play with?
Is it fun over there in Mexico?
When will you come back?
When will you visit me one day?
Do you miss me?
Ms. Thomas 8th Grade
Group 2
Safety
By Ashlie A.
Why do I feel safe with you?
Why do I feel like I can tell you everything?
What is the connection we share?
How did we even start feeling like this?
Why is it that I can’t be separated from you?
Why do I feel like something is gonna
happen when we are separated?
Why am I worried about you?
Society
by Alejandra B.
Why is society always criticizing?
Why is society always judging your every move?
Why is society racially profiling everyone?
Why does society always feel the need to call the cops when there is a family of different colors?
Why does society think everyone is bad?
Why does society discriminate?
Why does society hate on colored people?
Why must society be this way?
Why must society be so unfair?
Why must people have to risk their lives for the color of their skin?
Why must society judge someone over something they CAN’T control?
I Hope the World Was Worth It
By Camila I.
Sammy, why did you leave?
Did you not feel a single grain of guilt?
Do you still do the same corrupt things?
Sammy, do you ever think of me from time to time?
Sammy are you even sober?
If I handed you this poem would you even be able to read it without passing out from the dizziness?
How long have you stayed out of the ER?
Sammy, why didn’t you say goodbye?
Sammy, why didn’t you answer my texts?
Sammy are you better now?
Do you still drink Sammy?
Do you still smoke?
How much did that Tattoo hurt?
If I’m not there, who’s going to take the Xanny’s away?
Sammy, do you still have that guitar necklace I gave you?
Sammy, why do I miss you so much?
Sammy, do you miss our hugs?
Sammy, was the world worth it?
Sammy,
Can you come back?
Death Poem
Carlos L.
Why did you have to come ?
Are you going to take someone away from me again ?
You took my Grandpa away from me last time
You wanna see me hurt again don’t you ?
I got nothing else to lose
If you kill them in front of me it won’t hurt
People I cared about or loved have died
You have given and you have taken haven’t you ?
You were there for my first breath
Expecting me to not breathe and die weren’t you ?
You don’t scare me
Just leave don’t come back again
If you were there when I was born
Then you will follow me till death
Cause I ain’t dying today or tomorrow
I’ll go kill you first before you kill me or anyone else
May you rest in peace and your soul to let be free
Ms. Thomas 8th Grade
Group 3
The World
By Tristan C.
Why must we poison
our world?
Why must we throw
our trash into the sea?
Is the future even
a guarantee?
Why do we pollute our oceans?
Why must we make
animals extinct?
Why do we destroy the forests?
Why can’t we care more for our world?
Why don’t we work to save it?
Why don’t we care enough for our home?
Why do we treat it as just another place?
Its not, after all, it holds the human race.
Preguntas
By Juniors F.
¿Alguna vez has querido entrar al corazón de
alguien ?
¿Por qué nos queremos mucho ?
¿Por qué no nos vemos cada día ?
¿Por qué somos tan graciosos ?
¿Por qué será que comemos mucho ?
Have you ever wanted to enter the heart of
somebody ?
Why do we love each other so much?
Why don’t we see each other every day?
Why are we so funny?
Why is it that we eat a lot?
Chicago
By Mark L.
Chicago, Why so gloomy and
Dark? Can’t we have a little
More sun?
Why is everybody so
Serious? Why can’t
Everybody just have
More fun?
Why is everyone in a hurry?
And always going fast?
Why is everybody thinking
About work or a job?
Can we turn back time to
the good old days when we
Weren’t stressed out?
Can we see more
Children playing
On the streets and not
on the phone?
Chicago, can we just not
Revolve around
materialism, money, popularity, social media
And phones so much?
Marvel Studios
By Maxi R.
Marvel, Why did you kill off Tony
Stark in Avengers: Endgame?
Who will be there when
Galactus shows up?
Will She-Thor have more
power than Thor?
Will Spider-Man be able to
save the world when needed?
If Peter is the new Iron Man
will he be as intelligent as Tony?
Will Fantastic Four ever
show up?
Will Pepper Potts Be the one who
rules the Iron Man suits?
