A plethora of poetry!

Students work in groups to write found poems based on phrases from our CCHS Reading and Writing Handbook

I had a feeling a week of experimental poetry with students would be fun - and I wasn't disappointed.

​We tried out a new form each day - found poetry, haiku, "abecedarian" poetry, randomized poetry, and a little slam poetry. The students were game to try anything, and I'm really proud of what they came up with!

Here's a small sampling. Many elements of these poems jump out at me as being awesome, but I'll refrain from adding commentary and let the students' words speak for themselves. :) 

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​Slam Poem
by Seth

What to write it’s here Right in front
What is it Another great prompt
What to write I know the prompt know
how to start
Start
Everything has a start no matter how small or large
bugs they are small
planets they are large
in the end they both become one
There is only one space
within space there are billions of galaxies
Within one there’s more than ever imaginable.

Apples are Rotten (An Abecedarian poem)
by Erin

Apples are
bad.
Can’t
deny the
extraordinary
fact.
Gallant knights
hate apples.
In the olden days the church bells rang the warning bells.
Jingling sounds of fear.
King Rotten Apple
liked to terrorize the villagers.
Many
noble knights ran in fright
of  the apple king.
People of the town, the
Queen fainted at the
rotten apples.
Stench filled
the
United Kingdom, and the people
vanished.
“What ever shall we do” they cried.
Xylographs show the ancient battle.
You might want to reconsider your life choices because
zillions of apples inhabit the earth.

The chair.

Contemplation of Existence (Too Haikül for School)
a group poem from the Western State poetry day

One more empty chair
A place for a road weary
traveller to sit
 
the chair sits alone
utilitarian, but
better than the floor
 
the chair stood empty
its pale green color faded
the metal legs bent
 
the bending, welding
of semi-cushioned tanned seat
hold an empty soul
 
the chair is empty
like my life
and my soul


​Abandonment
by Jacque

Moments come and go
Just like my father
He was never there
 
Every promise 
Every pinky swear
Left unkept
 
Disappointment surrounded me
Nothing hurts more than broken promises
The trust was crumpled at our feet
 
The abandonment hurt
The trust issues are real
Everyone leaves
 
Everyone lies
His leaving hurt
But it wasn’t my fault


​Change the Road I took
by Ryan

There was a time in my life
Where I wanted to change something bad that happened
But I knew I couldn’t change the past
Even when I wanted to
But if I had that one chance
I would change the road I took
Like Robert Frost’s poem
The road less traveled
Only, I did not get the outcome that his story portrayed
I took the road less traveled
And it left me wounded and scarred
I wasn’t dead
I was still alive
Physically scarred
And mentally scarred
How is this so
That's the problem
I don’t even know
I only saw the inevitable
A force that couldn’t be dodged
Then nothing
Just the dark
There was no light at the end of this tunnel
Or was there
I do not remember much    
But I do know
If I could change one thing
It would be the road I took
Whether it would change the way I live now
Or if it would change anything at all
I do know one thing
I more than likely
Would not feel the pain that I felt
If only I did change the road I took
​

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French Fries in the Fall
(a group poem from the Western State poetry day)
​
The auburn leaves scream against the skyline,
forcing her to forget to remember his eyes
Turns out when people fall, they don’t make a sound.
 
It enhances the tingling within the palm of my hands
 
You are the tingling in my stomach.
You’re easy on the eyes,
This is what I think about,
When I see French fries.
 
Eyes like the ocean
Pull me in till the tide comes back.
 
to the bottom of the seas
to the highest pines
eat all those fries

CCHS students share poetry during their workshop at Western State this week - led by students in the college's spoken word troupe, WordHorde