What's Your Name? - The Chicago Poetry Center

What’s Your Name?

This past Monday kicked off Lawndale Community Academy’s Poetry Residency with Ms. Barker’s 6th and 8th grade ELA classes. Our first session was an opportunity to get to know each other; thus, the day’s theme was our names. “Choosing My Name” by Puanani Burgess got poets talking about what makes names powerful, and why they matter. Students then wrote poems about their own names, and what beautiful names they are!

Ms. Barker 6th Grade

[untitled] by Noel C.

I get my name from my unc
Leon is mine but the
other way Noel and Leon
And my
name is Santa
in Spanish
I am a good
person I am nice
to other people
I am pretty

[untitled] by Nikol Q.

Nikolyour name means victory
It means that of all

Ms. Barker 8th Grade

[untitled] by Janya C.

Hey my name is Janya. When I
come I come correct, my name 8000.
Coooool it’s like a pain in your
chest. Close your eyes open your
hand matter fact cut on the fan.
I’m so cold the heat’s going to hit
the floor.

My Name Is by Geane C.

From my mom
My name is Geane
Not Genie
Not Gene
Not Geanne
It’s a piece of her
that can’t be removed
My name is Geane
From my dad
My name is Nevaeh
Not Naveah
Not Nevena
Not Neaveh
It’s a part of him
That he cherishes and loves
My name is Nevaeh