“I used to be a story but now I’m a poem” ~ Transformation Poems @ Avondale Logandale

School
Avondale-Logandale Elementary School

Poet in Residence
Angela Oliver

Date

Last week at Avondale Logandale, we reflected on all of the poetry vocabulary we’ve learned over the course of the Hands on Stanzas residency. We had fun reading a round of transformation poems aloud with feeling. Then, we reflected and discussed how we can use poetic elements like imagery and metaphor to celebrate all the ways we have changed over time in our writing. I asked the students to write poems that follow the format of “I used to be ______ but now I am _____ ” and encouraged students to pull ideas from their own memories and get creative.

Scroll down to enjoy our published poems from the last writing week of our Hands on Stanzas residency!

School
Avondale-Logandale Elementary School

Poet in Residence
Angela Oliver

Date

Ms. Lozada 4th Grade

I Used to Be Xiomaris T.

I used to be a pen
But now I’m a marker.

I used to be a planet
But now I’m a rock.

I used to be a book
But now I’m a word.

I used to be bird
But now I’m a cloud.

I used to be a book
But now I’m a drawing.

Old Town Road Marcos L.

I used to be a Lego
But now I am a Roblox
I used to be red
But now I am green
I used to be a lion
But now I am a cheetah
I used to be a lake
But now I am a river
I used to be Tilted Towers from Fortnite
But now I am Neo Towers
I used to be a noob
But now I am a pro

I Used to Be Melany F.

I used to be a unicorn
But now I’m a horse

I used to be a question
But now I’m an answer

I used be an ocean
But now I’m glass

The Mystery Poem Dylan V.

I used to be a simile but I am a metaphor.
I used to be stanza but now I am a poem.
I used to be a closet but now I am a wizard.
I used to be a test but now I am a quiz.
I used to be vocabulary but now I am speech.
I used to be gold but I am a diamond.
I used to be a seed now I am a computer.
I used to be a villain but now I am Jimmy Neutron.
I used to be a Godzilla but now I am King Kong.
I used to be a wizard but now I am a lizard.
I used to be a guy but now I am a tree.
I used to be a hyperbole but now I am absurd.

I Used to Be Salvador A.

I used to be a rose
But now I’m a violet.
I used to be a horse
But now I’m a pony.
I used to be the sky
But now I am the sun.
I used to be a storm
But now I am a rainbow.
I used to be a ghost
But now I am a human.
I used to be a pup
But now I am a wolf.
I used to be a pig
But now I am EVERYTHING!!!

Ms. Miller 3rd Grade

Transformation Yelitza R.

I used to be a toy but now I’m a TV.
I used to be baby food but now I’m rice.
I used to be milk but now I’m water.
I used to be a crawler but now I’m a runner.
I used to be small but now I’m big.

I used to be a waffle but now I’m a pancake.
I used to be a brick but now I’m a wall.
I used to be a fish but now I’m a mermaid.
I used to be a bird but now I’m a fairy.
I used to be a fan but now I’m an AC.
I used to be a hill but now I’m a mountain.
I used to be a baby but now I’m a kid.

Untitled Alexander R.

I used to be Mexico but now I am Illinois
I used to be pancakes but now I am bacon
I used to be a swimmer but now I am a baseball player
I used to a sandwich but now I am a cheeseburger
I used to be a bird but now I am a falcon
I used to be a cat but now I am a lion

I used to be a school but now I am the world
I used to be a school yard but now I am a soccer stadium
I used to be Poseidon but now I am Zeus

I Used to Be Jamilla H.

I used to be a doll but now I am a phone
I used to be mud but now I am a bed
I used to be a preschool but now I am a school
I used to be a folder but now I am a binder
I used to be a puddle but now I am a river
I used to be a chair but now I am a couch
I used to be a classroom but now I am a room
I used to be a toy piano but now I am a piano
I used to be a baby but now I am a kid
I used to be a crayon but now I am a color pencil
I used to be 62% but now I am 100%
I used to be a marker but now I am an eraser

My Things Elicia N.

I used to be a crazy dog
But now I am a calm dog
I used to be a bush
But now I am a tree
I used to be a house
But now I am a hotel
I used to be a rock
But now I am Star Rock
I used to be clouds
But now I am the sky
I used to be a fairy tale
But now I am a dictionary
I used to be a brick
But now I am a tower

Used to What??? Jocyana C.

I used to be a feather but now I’m a bird.
I used to be a lonely girl but now I’m a colorful balloon.
I used to be a screamer but now I’m a singer.
I used to be a bracelet but now I’m a choker.

I used to be a heart but now I’m a caring person.
I used to be a crier but now I’m brave.
I used to be a caterpillar but now I’m a butterfly.
I used to be an ice skater but now I’m a dancer.

I used to be nothing but now I’m everything.
I used to be a seed but now I’m a tree.
I used to be me but now I’m a better me.

Ms. Afzal 3rd Grade

Untitled Brittany Y.

I used to be a baby but now I am a kid.
I used to be a rainbow but now I am a sun.
I used to be paper but now I am a book.
I used to be a person but now I am a photo.
I used to be a sun but now I am a dress.
I used to be a heart but now I am a star.
I used to be a dog but now I am a cat.
I used to be a hot but now I am dog.
I used to be a person but now I am a spy.
I used to be a rain drop but now I am a sun.
I used to be a vegetable but now I am a candy.

I Used to Be... Mayte O.

I used to be a minute but now I am an hour
I used to be a horse but now I’m an alicorn
I used to be a tomato but now I am ketchup
I used to be a sunflower but now I’m the sun
I used to be a noob but now I’m a pro
I used to be a third grader but now I’m a fourth grader

I used to be a story but now I’m a poem
I used to be a seed but now I’m a leaf
I used to be a kitten but now I’m a cat
I used to be a villain but now I’m a normal person

I Used to Be Jose F. M.

I used to be a boy but now I am a rainbow.
I used to be a boy but now I am the sun.
I used to be a boy but now I am the police.
I used to be a boy but now I am football.
I used to be a boy but now I am PJ masks.

Jose F. M. – Transformation Poem Art, Ms. Afzal – 3rd Grade
I Used to Be Leslie M.

I used to be a princess
But now I’m a QUEEN!
I used to be a banana
But now I’m a minion.
I used to be a city
But now I’m a WORLD!
I used to be a mud
But now I’m a SUN!
I used to be mud
But now I’m a CAT!
I used to be a kid
But now I’m a nine year old.
I used to be a bird
But now I’m a butterfly.

Untitled Ruben V.

I used to be a baby
Now I am a policeman.
I used be a teacher
Now I am a parent.

Ruben V. – Transformation Poem Art – Ms. Afzal, 3rd Grade

Ms. Pease 3rd Grade

Untitled Terrence B.

I used to be Roblox but now I’m Fortnite
I used be summer but now I’m winter
I used to be a 1 year old but now I’m a 10 year old
I used to be a Fortnite noob but now I’m a Fortnite god
I used to be a bear but now I’m a dog
I used to be a pencil but now I’m a pen
I used to be red but now I’m blue
I used to be addition but now I’m division
I used to be a cupcake but now I’m a cake
I used to be Sonic but now I’m Flash
I used to be a star but now I’m a shooting star
I used to be a reading paper but now I’m a math paper.

Untitled Keyla V.

I used to be a caterpillar
But now I’m a human
I used to be a baby
But I’m a 3rd grader
I used to be an alien
But now I’m a monster

I Used to Be Everything Evelyn M.

I used to be rain
But now I am a rainbow.
I used to be Mexico
But now I am the world.
I used to be messy
But now I am a neat person.
I used to be alone
But now I am with a friend.
I used to be a flower
Now I am the sun.

Different Kinds of Things Yanny O.

I used to be a cupcake
But now I am a cake.
I used to be a leaf
But now I am a flower.
I used to be a ball
But now I am the earth.
I used to be a rainbow
But now I am a blue sky.
I used to be a game
But now I am a TV.
I used to be 1
But now I am 9

When I Was a Baby Silana N.

I used to be a seed but now I am a sunflower
I used to be a lyric but now I am a song
I used to be a toy but now I am a phone
I used to be a rain drop but I am a cloud

I used to be a whisper but now I am an echo
I used to be an egg but now I am a chicken
I used to be a water bottle but now I am a river
I used to be a book but now I am a painting

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