In Ms. Carteno’s 6th grade classes, we read Lucille Clifton’s “[running into a new year]” and thought about how we’re moving into this new year through these complicated times. We talked a lot about how poetry can hold all of our emotions: good, bad, and complicated. We also thought about how Lucille Clifton uses lines, punctuation, and capitalization as tools of expression.
Class 1
New Years In Space
Viktoria L
I feel like I’m being dragged into the new year.
It feels like I’m trying to get away from being swallowed by the void.
my thoughts are in space,
They have nowhere to go,
So they just stay there until there’s no space left.
My head’s like space with nothing but stars,
There are so many stars that I can’t even see the light coming from the sun.
Running into the New Year
Eryk P
I am running into the new year
Because I know in my heart that it is going to be a great year
Running into the year feels amazing and feels like the wind is blowing at you.
Gaming
-Ranchard V
This game’s new update only has one level
And it’s running into the New Year
While getting through
It recaps all of the items and achievements I’ve gathered
It recaps all of the cutscenes and my choices
It recaps all of the events that happened because of choices
And finally recaps all of the characters that I’ve interacted
It makes me surprised to cry after the credits roll
I’ve never known that a game can put me through emotions
I turn off the TV and appreciate all of the events that this game put me through
Then I turn on the TV and get extremely motivated this update
Running into the New Year
Class 2
[As I look at the door]
-Charlie
As I look at the door,
Big, and steep
As I look down to the floor,
To my shoes and my feet.
Now I Don’t have a choice,
But to open the door,
I say with my voice
“I’m ready for more.”
I’m Ready
-Omari L
I’m ready for the new year
Im ready for these challenges and
I’m ready for the toughness I will face the challenges
Without a doubt I won’t stop till I drought
I will get strong and I will be focused
And I will accomplish my dream to become a football player
[Protest, Rights, and Civil war fights]
-Mia and Zoe
Protest, Rights, and Civil war fights
Everyone is different but all still the same .
Treated differently because of their skin color.
We are all family, just not blood .
Different hair and different food
On the same block just like you.
Although we look not the same we love
White or Black should be treated the equal
nothing less nothing more one and other will be free and fair
It is time for this to end we are not in the 1954 when the civil rights movement started
We need to be in the end .
Class 3
It’s getting boring
-Angel A
i am crawling into the new year.
not a lot has changed and everything feels the same
every year we have this over exaggerated party
everytime it gets more boring and boring
nothing can stop the bad things from going
i am bored
bored of new year’s resolutions
nobody ever follows those
i am crawling into the new year
[I wish I could stay in 2021]
-Genevieve V
I wish I could stay in 2021
New years are always confusing
Always writing the wrong year for the date
And forgetting that it is 2022
New years are pointless.
All is is adding another number
[I am marching into the new year]
-Hayli S
I am marching in to the new year to leave all of the bad memories even though the good memories are chasing me so I don’t let the bad memories overcome this year.I still want this year to be better so the good memories can make this year better than the bad ones.
