Hard to believe we’re almost halfway through this year’s residency! With the recent switch to daylight savings time having occurred, I began classes this week asking students if they considered themselves to be a ‘day’ person or a ‘night’ person? Next, I asked what advantages and/or disadvantages there were to both daytime and nighttime? As you can imagine, there was quite a variety of responses. I then informed everyone about the 24 hours of daylight Alaskans experience surrounding the summer solstice, and the nearly two months of night from late November to mid-January in northern Finland, inviting them to imagine what that would be like.
After our opening discussion, we read Eve Merriam’s “Lullaby.” This pithy poem incorporates rhyme, similes, and description into a compact rumination on the moment when day slips into night. One of its comparisons is “Purple as a king’s cape,” and we thought of the many ways that could be interpreted. As for its title, lullabies are sung to children to help them fall asleep, but I wondered if there might be any additional connections between the poem’s title and its content? I also pointed to the poet’s use of “purry,” inquiring if it was a ‘real’ word and regardless, what it reminded students of?
For their own compositions, they were instructed to write a ‘night’ poem. Here we go…
Mrs. Rosenzweig, 4th Grade
Darkness
By Lucas B.
Nighttime, Nighttime, It is dark.
Nighttime, Nighttime, scary like a shark.
Darkness, Darkness, is here.
Darkness, Darkness, a little bit of fear.
Darkness, Darkness, it is time to sleep.
Time to go to darkness.
Time to fly into darkness.
Shhhh
By Mason B.
You are are so sweet but it is time to sleep
It is the night it’s not bright
You cannot fly a kite
So sit and hold on tight
It is colorful now that is wonderful
So slept tight and do not fight
Nighttime
By Jackson K.
Finished dinner
Time for bed
Put on pajamas
Dozy in my head
Look out at the sky
It’s black and blue
Moony and starry
What a beautiful view
It’s black like a cat
And blue like the sea
Bedroom door opens
Someone’s looking at me
Mom walks in
Followed by dad
We say prayers
I feel glad
Sleeping now
I start to dream
Thoughts drift away
Like a river’s stream
Snoozing
By Xitlali L.
Black
Black
Night
Fright
Black as the night sky
Black as a burnt fry
Black for the time
Where there’s no rise-&-shine
Sad and blurry
No rush or hurry
In this sleepy time
Black
Black
Night
No wrong or right
Sleep
Don’t weep
Into the night sky
Sleepover in the Dark
By Sasha L.
We knew we were going to win this bet
We didn’t want these people to think they were a threat
She came in ready for the night
We got our sleeping bags expecting a fright
We turned on the movie, got our glasses and cheered
She sneaked for more snacks and I heard her fear
She screamed louder the whole world heard
I was about to leave till blood slipped from under the door board
I was going to search out the window instead
I opened the door making a noise, tripping on thread
But once the door blasted open, I saw the monster from the movie
And my friend dead
The next day I had to go to school
I took the money from the bet thinking I was a complete fool
He said nobody has every dared to watch the movie
That they would get scared and too moody
I walked home feeling very off edged
And promised myself
I’m never taking a bet again
Mrs. Johnson, 4th Grade
Night and Mite
By Agrim A.
Night mite get untie,
Mite as dark as Night
Night as mighty as night
Look up at the sky
You see the moon
Then you think the
The sun will come soon.
You look in the tree trunk
You see a mite waking
In the night.
Untitled
By Niko G.
I am going through the night
I got into a fight
Outside it is black
During the fight I went smack
I have some height
And I took flight
It is the end of the night
And I am out the fight
Untitled
By Michael S.
The night is calm the night makes you yawn you want to go to bed but you can’t resist your friend the night is so calm you look at your palm
Mrs. Barnes, 4th Grade
Midnight
By Veera K.
One night it was dark
In the beautiful park
Midnight was almost here
And the sky was clear
The New Year countdown was on
3 2 1 HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!
All the adults grab a beer
The New Year was finally here.
Untitled
By Marshawn P.
It was the fourth of July and fireworks were about to go high in the sky while it was night, fireworks exploding and kids saying bye bye, the fireworks go and people leaving saying good bye.
Untitled
By Gianna Z.
There was a little black cat that looked like the sky. It walked and walked and walked and walked in the night. It looked up and down to the moon. Then glitter was around it and it flew up to the moon.
Mr. O’Brien, 4th Grade
During the Night
By Rieyecon B.
During the night I watched the fight. During the night I flew my kite. During the night I saw a spider then I said yikes. During the night my friend slept over and he said the dark was his fright. So then I turned on the bathroom light.
The Night
By Athan C.
The sun was falling down, the moon rising up. If only anyone could make that kind of stuff.
The sky is black, no longer colorful. I miss the white and blue sky.
I went back into my room, feeling lonely. My house was only me.
I have to go to bed now, goodbye. Tomorrow, I will see the blue and white sky.
From Day to Night
By Xavier G.
When the day ends the night comes out, the nights where people will have fun and build forts, the nights where they celebrate birthdays, the nights where they spend time with each other. Just from the day ending.
I See the Moon
By Zia R.
Coyotes Howl
Enemies Prowl
I see the moon
Blue cape Your life is at stake
I see the moon
This is time to be with family
Cause I see the moon.
Coyotes Howl
Enemies Prowl
I see the moon
Blue cape Your life is at stake
I see the moon
And you do too.
Black
By Clara S.
Black
Black
Very sad
Very mad.
Black as the night sky and as dark as a black crayon.
Black
Black
Very dark
Very tuffy.
Muffy
Foggy
Sad
Black.
