‘It kinda feels nice’: Table Poems

After reading Joy Harjo’s ‘Perhaps the World Ends Here,’ the student’s poetry turned to a common household object.

 

‘The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live.’-Joy Harjo

Mrs. Collins, 6th Grade

Plastic Circle with One Leg by Junie H.

 

At this table, I do my homework, and I get

Very bored and stressed

I will study too if I have to, and I 

Feel the same way about it too

 

At this table, I push my chair closer to my

Dad, as we listen to different music, feeling

A sense of joy and happiness, we find some music that

Makes me want to laugh, or that makes me

Want to dance

 

At this table, my parents and I play games, shuffling

The cards are on our toes to see who 

Wins feeling happy

 

At this table, we argue my mom and I, my

Dad and I, my mom, and my dad. I hate

It makes me feel lonely and sad

 

After all of that, I still have one

Question: What happens next?

The Table by Julian M.

At this table, I do homework 

Which is a waste of time

You can feel stressed, bored, and overwhelmed

Times when friends come over they can maybe…

Make you feel happy, excited, and calm 

Like if you are with your people 

Playing games can make you feel

Interested, maybe feel some laughter, and peaceful

Then you just sit down and think…

It kinda feels nice

It’s quiet, sunny, and maybe start fidgeting with something 

But then think…

What would I do without this table?