Just Kidding

For our second week, we read Inua Ellams’ “Dust-Dipped.” Following our first poem, this one looked very different, with longer lines and only a single stanza, but also considering its repetitive use of slashes (“/”). In very short order, students recognized that the slashes divided each line into three parts: a noun (with adjective), verb, and simile; also every pair of lines, or couplet, included opposites (wild, tame; poor, rich; loud, quiet, etc.). The previous poem introduced simile (comparison using like, as, or than) and Ellams’ turbocharged likening not only through its sheer number of similes but how unusual they were.

“Dust-Dipped”’s repetition of the noun children in every line inspired the students to write about being kids.

Ms. Nelson 4th Grade AM

Children Max B

Children’s lives aren’t much different
than a rabbit or a cat.
We play and grow.
But children’s lives aren’t all
sunshine and rainbows.
We still have to work, unfortunately.
We do our tests, we already know.
Our lives are very busy but we still
play in summer all the way to
snow.

Adults and Kids Declan F

Children are not very free
adults always have the key
to the case that’s been locked away.

But we are the key
the key to the heart
and so they love us.

Because they put a roof and food
and they are kind like my friend you
then I shall love them too.

My Life Nela P

Being a child gives me mixed emotions.
When we fight,
our dad takes away our phone
so we can’t do Duolingo.
But we still have school,
with poetry and field trips.
Those are really fun.
Also, we still get Christmas presents!
Unfortunately, still too young to boss around.
An only child feels lonelier in life,
but at least I have a twin.
That way, we get invited to double the
birthday parties.
I wish kids were treated better.
But that’s my life.

My Child Perspective Matisse R

being a kid is great
you go to school
but it can get old

but I’d rather not complain
it doesn’t help me
and it doesn’t help you

sometimes you wanna cry
and sometimes you wanna die
but at the end of the day
it’s all ok
it’s great to be a child
but at the end of the
day it’s all ok

Kids Emmett S

Kids have power,
kids don’t have power.
Kids are trusted,
kids aren’t trusted.
Kids have good lives,
kids don’t have good lives.
Kids are lazy,
kids aren’t lazy.
Kids aren’t happy,
but kids are happy.

When You're a Kid Theo S

When you’re a kid / you feel so small / but
you look forward to times / so you can be tall.
When you’re a kid / you’re glued to the screen /
watching TV / and well (you know what I mean).
When you’re a kid / you think you’re cool /
but there’s no such thing / as too cool for school.
When you’re a kid / you read a lot of books /
mostly about all the new looks / (like a new PS5)
When you’re a kid / you like a lot of memes /
like that one where / a guy screams.
When you’re a kid / all the time /
you wonder when you will have to resign.

Mr. Martens 4th Grade AM

Kidlife Sachiko F

Drifting away in thoughts
with no thought at all
school is a pain
But mom says we need it
Pain really hurts
especially when you cry
You can hear things
They don’t want you hearing
Don’t want to grow up
Don’t want to stay the same
can’t do anything you REALLY want to do
you’re too young to do it
Sometimes you wish
you would grow older in a second
or get younger in a minute
you get super pressured
to make a decision
Think about life
Life up ahead

Untitled Rafael F

We are children.
And deep down we will always be.
Our thoughts are our life.
One second I’m fighting a dragon.
One second I’m in space.

We play with words.
Telling jokes and funny stories.

In the sky the clouds are eagles.
In the car I am heading for first.
He throws the football and I score the
game winning catch.

Kid on Mercury Jaeyoon K

The day is hot like a desert.
The night is cold like the Arctic.
Meteors fall like showers.
There’s no air to breathe and no water to drink.
The sun burns like a wildfire.
The land is smaller than Russia.
Only aliens live here.
This is Mercury.
The smallest and the first planet.
It is too close to the sun.
There is no atmosphere.
The life on Mercury is hard.
The only objects here are rocks.
If we jump too hard, we cannot come back.
The life is dangerous.
Meteors are dangerous as a volcano erupting
more than ten times.
The life is hard.

Untitled Saajan R

When you’re a
kid, you cope with
grief.

Dreaming of
the day you’ll
become chief.

When you’re a
kid, you are always
one. You don’t stop
until the job is done.

Kids love to win.
They will throw a
fit, but tomorrow
they won’t care
a bit.

And then when
you’re older
you will look
back with
a stare and
say, I could
be there.

My Kid Life Otis R

I like being a kid
because you get your education
and when you grow up you
can get into a good high school
and a good college

What It Is Like to Be a Kid Oliver T

It is like to
run around. When
you eat you will
eat the fastest
you will want to
eat a bunch
of chips and ice
cream.

You will want to
stay up so late
like 4 am you
will want a dog or
a cat.

Mr. Waterman 4th Grade

Memories Emi B

9 years.
They go by like the wind.
Fast.
I know. Cherish controlled
life. Easy things fun things
visits with friends.
Makes a painting of
years.
9 years.

Us Kids Ellen H

Kids, wonder of the world
of course, they know
when their mother comes
home to them.

And they run to
their mothers.

Mothers and fathers.

“They fix everything,” they say.
Of course, they love us.

Us kids, the young ones.

The mysteries.

The kids.

As a Kid Christa K

We were small
Learning about the world around us
Everything was new
We did everything for the first time

Things were fun
We wanted to do them again and again
Things were boring
We wanted to run away and escape

We were energetic
We wanted to run around and play
We were tired
We wanted to collapse in our bed

Being Kids Heather L

When you’re a kid,
you’re little and young.
You go from tiny,
to big and tall.
You live your life,
through hate and love.
You fill your mind
with knowledge and thoughts.
As you live,
future comes.
Then you find,
your true love.
You get old,
and tell the young,
how you remember
being kids.

A Kid on Earth Paley S

Being a kid on Earth
I know how it feels
Sometimes I feel bad

Sometimes I feel good
Sometimes I feel sad
Sometimes I feel mad

But sometimes I feel all of that
If you’re reading this
I have some advice for you

Being a kid can be hard
It can be easy
Or it can make you woozy

Just remember that
Somewhere on Earth
Someone is looking out for you

I'm a Kid Bryant X

Being a kid means…
Sometimes fun but boring school
Homework from the school

Being a kid means…
Having the time of your life
Playing awesome games

Being a kid means
Arriving to adulthood
Bye bye being young…

Ms. Nelson 4th Grade PM

Smart Kid Saachi B

I am smart Saachi. I love
to read while dreaming like a
smart kid.

I like to do math like to
do math like a mathematician.

Being a kid is hard but
sometimes parents don’t listen to
you sometimes you can’t express
your feelings but reading and doing
math is a bit easier.

Being a Kid Jayna C

Being a kid is fun.
Being a kid is boring.
We have to go to school.
We have the weekends off.

You can play games.
You have homework.
You can swim.

Different Lola K

We are different, children are
different in ways you can’t
describe.

We are unequal we are all
not the same.

We love, we see things
you may not recognize we feel
the most felts that are different
to you.

I have a connection with my
family, unbreakable. We are a
community and a group that
loves each other.

Untitled Milan M

How life is to be a kid. Have fun.
Get good grades. Get toys. Free food of
your choice. Pay no rent. Have nice
friends. And don’t worry about any
thing just have fun.

Kids Stone S

Ha ha ha hear the noise laughter. Hear
them play we are kids. We do not
have to go to work we have
the time to play a
sport. Even though
we are kids
we still
can have
lots of
fun.

Untitled Johanna V

Being a kid is an awesome experience.
There is a lot of fun when you are a kid,
biking, playing, jump rope and more.

We kids make mistakes.
Our parents yell at us.
We learn from them.

Kids life can sometimes be stressful.
But did you know adults life is more stressful.
Kids are just very misunderstood.

When it’s summertime kids are outside all day.
We swim in the pool all day and never
leave.
We go to the playground and swing on
the swings.

Kids are just really unique.

Mr. Martens 4th Grade PM

Young Giraffe Aria E

We ran through savannah torturing
light.

Nothing hurts more than a lion’s bite.

Leaves so high I stand on hinds.

Mother always says to slow my
bite or lions might hear my
crunch for life.

Trees like fans cover
sun I sit like rock on
soil.

The moon comes up I sleep
like never before so I am
tired for the running masquerade.

Love to Do Naomi G

I’m a kid who likes dancing around
the room

I’m a kid who loves swimming like
a shark

I’m a kid flying around the country
because I have nothing else to do

I’m a kid who loves flying in
the sky with the birds

I’m a kid who loves listening to
the ocean sea with a nice
hushing whoosh.

I Am a Kid That Is Juliana N

I am a kid that is.

I am a kid who likes
books.

When I read I feel
good and happy. It feels so
quiet like nobody is there.

I like to play on
trampolines all day.

It feels so fast
like a bullet.

No More Kid Joshua N

Being a kid just being a kid
I don’t want to be a kid
monkey
elephant
key
or even a trumpet
I juts don’t want to be a kid
eagle
fish
or even a sword
lots of things
what a galore
why me
wwwwhhhhyyyy!!!!
let me be a fish or
a pig
maybe a tile on the
floor
please not me
please help me

Kid Being Shaniyah S

Being a kid is important
being a kid is fun
being a kid is great
being a kid is grateful
being a kid is thankful
being a kid is safe
being a kid is good for mistakes

Untitled Emilio V

One time one day one year
only a kid for a little. You scrape
your leg it starts to bleed making
you stronger over time

If you break your bone next time
it’s gonna be stronger