For our first session at Smyser, we closed out the spooky season with a poem that shows bravery in the face of fear: Maya Angelou’s Life Doesn’t Scare Me at All. We looked at the line that ends each stanza and talked a little bit about repetition as a tool for shaping a poem. So as not to feel alone in our fears, we shared them aloud and made a list on the board. We added some descriptive words and made some choices about line breaks and voila! We made our very first class poem, and it wasn’t scary at all! Then it was the students’ turn to try it on their own. I also always encourage young poets who want to write a different poem than the prompt suggests. Here’s what they came up with!
Ms. Erzrumly’s 4th Grade
Fears Don’t Affect Me
By Sviatoslav C.
I have some fears that are really scary
but now I know how to tame them well
nightmare foxy from the closet
I just think of my favorite ice cream!
Scary darkness where strange things lurk
I just think of sunlight galore!
Very high heights where mountains are
I just think of the ground!
mysterious ghosts scare me most
I just think of my friends!
bloody knives kill
I just think of pizza!
now I know how to tame my fears
I won’t be scared soon!
I just think of these happy things
So I am never scared again
everything around me
By Nathaniel M.
Clowns in the dark
Spiders on the wall
really big spirits
this does not affect me at all!
really loud barks in the dark
can’t see in the dark
Silent whispers in my ear
Shivers down my back
this does not affect me at all!
getting drowned in the dark
getting drowned in the water
this does not affect me at all!
The beautiful spring
By Marcie C.
The bright cherry blossoms
The sunflowers gleaming gold
Playing in the sun all day
Oh the beautiful spring
Fields of dandelions
the warm gold sun
Playing on the Playground
Oh the beautiful spring
beautiful green trees
clear blue sky
white puffy clouds
Oh the beautiful spring
Fears don’t scare me
By Inas K.
Watching a scary movie
staying by my self in the dark
staying by my self outside
Fears don’t scare me
Somebody knocking on the door
but everyone is here…
Spiders in my room
Fears don’t scare me
Snakes or bugs on me
People bullying me
going somewhere by myself
fears don’t scare me
FIRST DAY of School
By Naomi J.
The first DAY of school
and I DROOL
DO MY Hair
Brush My teeth
Make My lunch
hop on the bus
I LOVE school
Running down the hallways
TRY not to be late
FIND YOUR DESK
Be the best
big school bullies
I Love school
Recess and lunch
play with friends
Eat your food
Get good Grades
Listen to the teacher
as she goes on with words
I Love school even though it makes me drool
Ms. Edward’s 4th Grade
Fears
By Nicole W.
Fears don’t scare me at all
spiders with webs
Dogs with wands
That does not scare me
Clowns with smiles
cats with teeth
That does not scare me
Meaner Bullies
Bigger chances of death
That does not scare me
Drown in the sea
a Bear Attack
That does not scare me
Alone in the dark
Asleep with a staring doll
That does not scare me
Creeky noises
Choking from food
That does not scare me
A lock down drill
A fire fire drill
That does not scare me
Nothing scares me at all!
You don’t scare me!
By Erica P.
Lice crawling on you
Bitten by a deathly spider
Dolls staring at you at night
You don’t scare me!
Drowning in the ocean
Shadows appear out of no where
Falling off a cliff
You don’t scare me!
Tornado amber alert
Bugs on you
Darkness around you
I’m not scared of anything!
You don’t scare me
By Sarah
I’m scared of Tsunamis
Darkness and drowning but
it’s Time to face my fear
but I know now how to Swim so
I’m not scared of drowning anymore but
a little and Darkness is just the light
off so Nothing to be scared of
lost my fear.
I’m not scared of anything
By Samuel
Clowns Jump scaring you
falling off of a big building.
I’m not scared at all.
dolls staring at you creepy.
rats chasing you.
I’m not scared at all.
Death chasing you down
Drowning in the ocean.
I’m not scared at all.
I’m not scared of anything!!!
They don’t frighten me
By Nahla W
I’m scared of lice crawling in my hair making
me itch but they don’t frighten me.
the deep sea is more than 6ft
Just like free fall but, the sea don’t frighten
me.
I’m scared of a school shooting, but they don’t
frighten me
I’m scared of Poison Ivy making me itch
they don’t frighten me at all, at all.
