Opposites

For our sixteenth virtual lesson Haugan 8th graders explored mirror poetry, poems all about opposite perspectives. The world is filled with opposites such as heads or tails, ying and yang, and good and evil. Together students read and discuss the poem “Honeybees,” by Paul Fleishman. In his poem Fleishman describes the voices of a worker bee and a queen bee. Despite both being bees they have different experiences. The queen bee seems to be enjoying her life, Upon rising I’m fed By my royal attendant /I’m bathed/Then I’m groomed. While the worker bee’s life is full of hard work, Feeding the grubs/ In their cells/Wishing I was still/ Helpless and pale. The worker protects and the queen lays eggs. They may have different roles, but both are essential to the survival of the hive. Opposites can attract and come together to find common ground. Sometimes its not so easy.

Inspired by Paul Fleishman students wrote poems all about opposites. Enjoy this week’s poems.

Note: These are mirror poems with two opposing perspectives presented side-by-side. The formatting has been preserved as closely as possible in plain text.

Ms. Thomas 8th Grade Group 1

Jew and Nazi Diego B.
Jew and Nazi
By Diego B. 

Jew

I am a low rank

I didn’t do anything
Wrong

We were in peace

He brainwashed
You

You are doing wrong

He is your end

Set us free

I have brown eyes

We are different

But we are equal

We are people

But

We are different

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nazi

I am a high rank

A filthy Jew

You were rude

He has opened our
Eyes

We are doing right

He is our savior

Work will set you free

I have blue eyes

We are different

You are monsters

But

We are different

 

 

 

 

 

Two Brothers Angela G
Two Brothers
By: Angela G 

I am the god of thunder

I am worthy of Mjolnir

I am a strong warrior

I am a king

I am Asgardian

We are powerful

I am a protector

I am treated with more love by father

I hate fighting Loki

It hurts to see him hurt

But in the end

Even if you’ve betrayed me so many times

I will always love you because you are my brother

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am the god of mischief

I am not worthy of Mjolnir

I am a strong warrior

I wish to be king

I am a Frost Giant

We are powerful

I am a traitor

I wish to be treated with more love by father

I don’t mind fighting Thor

I will fight him no matter what

But in the end

No matter how evil I can get

I will always love you because you are my brother 

 

 

Old Veteran and Young Soldier Brayan R.
Old Veteran and Young Soldier
By: Brayan R. 

 

Old Veteran:

I seen war inside out

We are soldiers

I need to be a man and watch people die

We go to war

People dying is part of war

We have lost loved ones

I shot a gun and thrown a grenade

We fight    

I fought in battles and did not fall

I did my part, I have no regrets

We are the heroes of war

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young Soldier:

The war is something I barely know about

We are soldiers

I never hurt someone or watch them die

We go to war

Just losing someone would be hard

We have lost loved ones

I have not touch a gun or thrown

 

We fight    

It’s my turn

I can’t back down now, I’ll do my best

We are the heroes of war 

 

Ms. Thomas 8th Grade Group 2

Humans and Trees Carlos G.
Humans and Trees
By Carlos G. 

 

Humans

I breathe out carbon dioxide

I live in a house

I care a lot for fashion

I don’t take care of the environment

I live on land

I can’t help plants

But

We need each other

 

 

 

 

 

Trees

I breathe in Carbon dioxide

I live in the forest

I don’t care for fashion

I take care of the environment

I live on land

I help plants

But

We need each other

Failure and Success Damian M.
Failure and Success
By: Santiago G. 

 

 

Failure

I will follow you,…

From down here….

I will try to grab your foot,.. Pulling you to rock bottom…

I will watch you fail… knowing I got you,… knowing I got the “best” of you

Without Success I can’t exist

Without Success,.. I will ruin you..

Successful?… I question…. I challenge…

WITHOUT Success,.. I am the almighty

 

 

 

 

 

Success

Am always watching,…

“Watching”… from up ahead…

I try to grab your hand,.. Pulling you to safe land..

I will always be up there,… watching you come to me,…

I will make you feel proud…”PROUD” of what you’ve gone through,… Proud of how you reached me….

Without Failure,.. I wouldn’t exist

Without Failure I wouldn’t exist.. Because I’m the one who watches…. But I expect you to stand up,… U expect you to keep going…. No matter how hard you’re slapped,..

Without Failure,.. I’m a nobody…

 

Humans Melanie G.
Humans
By Melanie G. 

 

Hello, I’m America

I work so hard

I work hard for money and myself

I come in waste and shipments or
A nice conventional box

I come tomorrow but
It’s not my problem

I wake up and everything is handed to me

I rolled through many lifetimes and I still say “I had it hard”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi! I’m Freedom

I work so hard

I work hard for equality and choice
I come in the constitution or
“Problematic” debates

I wish I could come today but

I can’t

it’s what I think about i think about before I sleep

I wake up and I had to work for hundreds of years so everything I have can come to me

I rolled through many lifetimes and I still say “I’m so grateful for every opportunity I get” 

 

 

Ms. Thomas 8th Grade Group 3

Shy vs Outspoken Flor E.
Shy vs Outspoken
By Flor E.

I am shy

I’m the weird kid in the class

I hate when the teacher calls my name to read

I stutter

I speak low

People look down on me

I wish I was her

But

With my friends I’m free

I’m the annoying friend of the group

I have my parents to talk about my day

I have someone to rely on

 

 

 

 

I am outspoken

I’m the helper in the class

I’m ready when the teacher calls my name to read

I don’t

I speak loud and clear

People look up to me

 

But

I don’t have close friends

I’m the homework helper of the class

I talk to myself when I get home

I don’t have someone to rely on

I wish I was her

Book and Movie Sandra G.
Book and Movie
By: Sandra G.

I see this book is not good as the movie the movie shows different points of views the book point of view is that the girl get pregnant and make a bad decision

 

 

 

 

 

The movie is good as the book they have the same point of view the girl keeps here baby and makes the baby grow up teach him two make good decisions

Kyo vs Yuki Yoselin R.
Kyo vs Yuki
By: Yoselin R.

Kyo

I am the cat of the chinese zodiac.

I want to defeat Yuki and prove that I am better than him

Losing fights is devastating

I don’t like to be with Yuki.

I am short tempered and stubborn.

Hyperness gets on my nerves

My goal is to fight Yuki in order not to be confined to Cat’s room.

I turn into a bright orange cat.

When my bracelet is taken off I turn into a monster that smells like rotting flesh.

I am discriminated against and disrespected and I blame all my misfortune on the rat.

Honestly trying to defeat the rat is the worst.

 

 

 

Yuki

I am the rat of the Chinese zodiac.

I want to be like Kyo who knows how to interact with people.

Defeating Kyo is fun

Going to places with kyo is torture for me.

I am kind and mysterious.

Kyo’s words get on my nerves.

My goal is to live my life without making any wrong turns.

I turn into a rat with silver fur.

When my curse activates I just turn into a rat.

I am viewed as perfect and an untouchable prince by most of my peers at school.

Honestly defeating the cat is amazing.

 

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