The Feelings Machine

It’s almost the end of the school year and students at Perez are excited for their approaching summer vacation. This week we read “The Quiet Machine” by Ada Limón and talked about what the best and worst kinds of silence are. We also discussed how the way it’s structured like a prose poem affects the way we read the poem. Students then got to work on their own poems about an emotion, or state of being and described all the different ways that it can look like. Some even tried the prose poem structure. Enjoy this week’s poets!

 

7th Grade 

 

Safety

Carmen P. 

 

Safety is when I’m at home sitting on the couch with the windows open and the sunlight beaming in, and the fan turned on. Safety is when I am at home eating my favorite food, and eating big bowls of ice cream. Safety is also Harrison Park, when I’m screaming at the top of my lungs for the person to shoot the ball in the net, or to just get that rebound. 

 

Feliz

Maria

 

Feliz porque mi hermano y yo 

pudimos empezar a estudiar y

pudimos llegar a estados

unidos con mi mama. Venir 

al colegio y verlo jugar con sus 

compañeros a la hora de recreo. Ay

 

Momentos tristes, porque me acuerdo

de mi papa que se fue al cielo. Me

acuerdo cuando jugaba conmigo y

compartimos. Cuando estoy

pensando sola, cuando estoy en 

el cuarto sola. 

 

Annoying

Jonah R. 

 

Annoying

I feel annoying at school

students get in trouble

unsure I don’t know

classmates bothered

feels uncomfortable

not good for me

 

Mi Silencio Feliz!

Estefania Z. 

 

Mi silencio feliz esta en el 

lugar al que mas fui. 

Me gustaba vivir 

con 

mi silencio feliz.

La naturaleza me dava el 

silencio feliz,

con el que creci.

El agua se movia, los arboles

tambien el aire se movia

y se sentia bien, estaba 

a salvo con el yoga y mi mascota

tambien ella dormia

dormia con su silencio feliz

era perfecto y haci creci muy 

feliz. 

 

8th Grade- Group 1

 

Tristeza, Soledad

Owen L. 

Es un estado en el que me siento atrapado, caminando sin destino fijo, solo pensando o quedándome callado ante todo, preguntándome que pasara al final cuando ya deje de existir. Solo existira oscuridad o luz, quedaré en blanco para siempre o despertaré de nuevo, o solo estaré apagado me pregunto, o si es para saber que quiero hacer con mi vida antes de que todo termine, es lo que me pregunto cada dia, mañana, o tarde o noche sin respuesta alguna. 

 

Silence

Laila F. 

 

I can take a hint. The hint when somebody wants you to shut up. When you’re trying to start a conversation, can’t think of nothing to say, and they just look at you. It turns into awkward silence. The kind of silence where you and that person have nothing in common, where every time they or you try to start a conversation, only gibberish comes out. The feeling in the movie, The Little Mermaid, when Ursula took Ariel’s voice and replaced it with legs. The atmosphere, the people. The people who always tell you to shut up when you try to talk. And make you think why even bother to talk if somebody is going to tell you that. All of that. 

 

Loud Moments

Sofia G. 

 

So many loud moments. When you walk in Pilsen, or when you sleep sometimes you hear people weep, partying at night till dawn. So loud you’re numb, now it doesn’t affect you anymore. I get so used to it, it becomes part of me. Sometimes I sit and listen to their chisme. In my hometown of Mexico shots are fired, music is played loud till the speakers are on the verge of exploding. People who beep their horns and don’t care, then fly by speeding past the red lights. That’s how loud moments are made. 

 

8th Grade- Group 2

 

Are You Ok? I’m Tired

Jahzara P.

 

Yes, I am tired all the time, 

people don’t really realize it though.

When I’m quiet that ask “ What’s wrong?”

I answer “I’m just a little tired.”

 

They don’t realize that the only reason that are able to ask 

is because I stopped pretending to not be tired

to not feel like I want to curl up into a ball and cry or sleep. 

 

I’m tired from many things

I’m tired from sleeping

I’m tired from thinking

I’m tired from being angry

I’m tired from being sad

But mostly

I’m tired from all the drama and hurt that I had

ti endure just to lose a friend.

I’ve been tired for most of my life I think

tiredness comes with being a teen

either way 

I’m still tired

 

Tired is my pain 

tired is my calm 

tired is my peace

My tired is invisible

 

And yet still, 

I am tired. 

 

I’ll Be Proud When I Get There

Roman R. 

 

The day is coming

two more weeks and

I will be in all blue along

with my classmates, proud. 

My parents looking at me

with the biggest smile. 

I feel like my mind is

gonna flood with pure memories

Kindergarten graduation is gonna

pop up. Me and my team winning 

the volleyball game, and getting the

best grades of my life. And after

all that. I’m proud. 

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TESTIMONIALS

“Writing poetry makes me feel like I can see myself, like I can see my reflection, but not in a mirror, in the world. I write and I know I can be reflected.”
-Oscar S.

“Writing poetry makes me feel free.”
-Buenda D.

“Writing poetry is like your best friend.”
-Jessica M.