'cut the snowflakes wrong': School Poems - The Chicago Poetry Center

‘cut the snowflakes wrong’: School Poems

Students read a school memory-themed poem, by student poet, Connor S., (below), talked about using the stanza as a container for creativity in a poem, and then crafted their own poems on school memories.

High Rising
by Connor S.

When we made our
dream houses
People were talking about,
As some were wandering around
the class
others began to
stress out.

Inches
Feet
Stairs
and more
until we all
Finished our
floors.

NOTE: A shooting took place the day before this week’s residency, near the school. Some of the poems deal with that topic and incident.

Lesson Note: ‘In a time of crisis, poetry can help focus our fears and transform ‘noise into music’ … In effect, poetry “aims in every possible way to reaffirm the world that we actually inhabit, in all its vital, messy, beautiful, tragic reality. Mar 10, 2020, The Washington Post.

Ms. Ruan 7th and 8th Grades

Yesterday Jlajie Z.

I remember the GYM Classroom
And talking to the teacher.
I snapped the pencil in half.
Good morning, miss.

Snowflakes Jiaying C.

In Project Vision after school program
we cut
Snowflakes,
Sitting on my grey
Chair
In the classroom
Classmates
yelling
The corner of the paper touching me
Someone keeps telling me
that I’d be the first one to
cut the snowflakes wrong

Ms. Wright 8th Grade

Untitled Calvin L.

It was 12 in the afternoon
Which is also when I heard gunshots ringing outside our school
1 second after that happened our principal called for a lockdown
My heart dropped
People were screaming
Crying
And Freaking out
I was given this paranoid and anxious feeling..
People were on their phones texting their parents
We stayed there for 30 minutes waiting..
And waiting.. Quietly
Eventually we heard that the Lockdown was over…
Everyone was in relief knowing nobody from our school lost their life that day…

Recess Christine L.

In the fall
As the cold air hit my lungs
As my mask covered half of my face
The sound of the zippers as
People taking off their coat
Kids running from others

With the cards in hand
And people shuffle the cards
As kids running by the hoop
As the sound of the ball hitting the floor
As kids around a table doing homework
As they are giving out answers to each other

I feel a small hand touch my back
I didn’t know what happened until
I heard a person say something
That is when i started chasing them
What they said was ¨tag your it¨

Science Fair Ailin C.

Tick, tock, tick
As time pass,
the slides began to fill
Out.
The sound of
Keyboard,
are flying
about.

Anxious
Annoyance
Fear,
It’s almost due.
Hurry,
We’ll get it
Done

Untitled William N.

Badminton
Opponent eye contact
Walking to our sides
Light in my eyes
Birdie in my hand
“Ready?”
Serve

First to 7
Swinging of the rackets
Friends cheering
Shoes screeching
Sweat on my forehead
The birdie hit his side, I’ve won
“noooooooooooo!”