An Internet Poetry Anthology Project

CONGRATULATIONS!

The poems below were submitted by middle school students in response to an invitation to look closely at their middle school world. Students were asked to take a photograph of their observation and write an accompanying poem. As you'll see, students wrote some insightful and surprising poems! Details on how to design a writing exercise similar to the one used for this contest can be found in the Companion Guide for Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems.

The winning students and the submitting teacher or librarian received autographed copies of Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems by Kristine O'Connell George. Many thanks to the teachers, librarians, and judges who helped make this contest and Internet poetry anthology possible.

The Judges:

Constance Levy: Winner of the 2002 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award for Splash! Poems of Our Watery World; author of other award-winning poetry collections including A Crack in the Clouds and When Whales Exhale.

Paul Janeczko: Editor and author of award-winning collections and anthologies for young readers including Seeing the Blue Between: Advice and Inspirations for Young Poets and Opening a Door: Reading Poetry in the Middle School Classroom.

Suzanne Peterson: "Empress Librarian" for the Santa Monica Unified School District

Lynne T. Whaley: Editor and author of Discovering Your Career and Investigating Your Career (Middle School Edition) (Southwestern, 2003)

Tracie Vaughn Zimmer: Teacher and author of several marvelous collections for young readers

The Winning Poems:

Runaway

by Meghan

Orange is the color of the drinking gourd signal,
Grey the pepper that I sprinkle.

Green is the woods that hide me,
Black is the time of day I flee.

Silver is the color of the North Star I follow,
Yellow is the flame in the cabin hollow.

Tan are the bloodhounds on my trail,
Red is the blood of my back if I fail.

Blue is the water that I find,
Brown are the footprints I leave behind.

Some comments from the judges:

..... I love how Meghan used color to serve as the frame for her story. And she did something that young poets often overlook: she brought the poem to a satisfying conclusion.
.....Nice rhythm! Compelling historical slant. The use of colors to define an escaping slave is most effective - Hailstones and Halibut Bones with a very different feeling.
… This must be a Civil War poem reflecting a story from her class so this
counts as a school observation. I don't know the background facts about the gourd, but I can guess. Nice flow of language - effective use of poetic form and it reads (sounds) well.

The Dependable Locker

by Casey

Rushing to get to me,

You have to scream and push.

You’re bumped and kicked,

Scraped and hit,

Just to get your books.

When you’ve finally reached me,

You find out that I’m jammed and stuck.

So hard, you slam your foot into me,

And turn the dial again.

I open up,

And you grab your things.

Goodbye, you say,

By giving me a slam.

You dive into a river

Of kids and teachers too.

You’re gone, disappeared,

But I know you’ll be back soon

Because I have you’re books and things

That you’ll need for class.

You see, I am locker 1004.

Some comments from the judges:

..... Casey did the same thing that Marjorie did: observe carefully an everyday object and write a good poem about it. But he/she went one step further by writing the poem from the point of view of the locker. Nice going.
..... Creative "mask" technique! Nice use of active verbs!
..... Good words to personify locker 1004– bumped, kicked, scraped, hit, jammed, stuck

Fast Walking

by Sadie

My friend Sam and I,
always late and always afraid,
that the bell will ring,
before we get the chance
to pass.
Right after math,
we hurry to lunch.
Grab your lunch and go!
Before it’s too late.
We’re walking down an empty
hall.
talking,
gabbing,
fast walking.

Some comments from the judges:

….. Great poem about friendship within school. Great use of assonance: talking, gabbing, walking.
..... this is a dandy poem. It tells a big story in a few words and pulls the reader into the action. Beginning with the first five powerful lines it packs an emotional wallop; the readers right there with these kids. Very honest, personal and real while keeping a poetic rhythm and form.

waiting

by ashley

waiting by the drinking fountain
waiting ...... waiting
waiting for someone to notice me
waiting for someone I know
but i see no one
thinking and waiting
thinking, I see someone I know
my heart jumps!
but as he gets closer
I change my mind
knowing I’ve been let down
I finally leave

Some comments from the judges:

..... This short poem does a good job of creating the tension, the anxiety of waiting for someone to notice you. I like the way she repeats "-ing" words. And, like "Runaway," this poems ends with a satisfying conclusion.
..... Captures middle school life so well

Deafening Silence

by Jason

Who knew that such quietness could be so loud?

In the silence there were so many stories
Being told of that morning's quarrel.
Some a puny whisper
Scurrying about,
Some a rolling thunder
Of a voice,
But all told of the same tale.

To break the silence,
To ask of the arguement
Would be unfortunate,
It would be as if you were
Tickling an active volcano,
Asking for it to erupt.
Tickling,
Tickling,
Tickling.

A break in the silence was regretted.
The boiling lava of anger
Burning out any following thoughts
Of asking a similar question.
Regret,
Regret,
Regret.
You just had to ask.
A deafening silence
Is there for a reason
Do not break it.

Some comments from the judges:

..... "A deafening silence is there for a reason” and “boiling lava of anger” bring such vivid images.
..... Very ambitious effort, sounds like a true school experience. Effective
language and strong imagery: volcano, lava, rolling thunder, deafening
silence. I really get this poem ... it sounds so true.

Read some more great poems from middle school students!

School Busses

by LeeAnn

All the days we go to school.

Band trips, field trips, any kind of trips!

Kids screaming, “Are we there yet?”

Yelling, screaming, in your ear,

Wishing you were out of here!

Riding near, Riding far,

Just take me home, I’ll ride in my car

What a Snack Machine!

by Marjorie

I see a snack machine,

What do I think of?… paradise.

I spy hot chips as I think of

Hot guys on the beach

Oooh… M&M’s! How sweet is that?

But then my fun ended,

As I found some original potato

Chips… BORING!

I spotted Cheez Explosions,

Which reminded me of the times

When I babysat

Oh, I better get that snack Mix

Off my mind,

So I won’t remember all those

Mixed times.

Now it’s time to look for Twix,

So I’ll turn from moody to

Sugar high!

Memories

by Kristen

Basketball and cheerleading trophies,

Bringing back lots of memories

Of times we had at games

With sad loses and happy wins.

Seeing the shiny gold trophies

Makes me remember Hopkins crying at Liberty

When we lost to Riverside.

I also remember the times

When we sat together and screamed our hearts out for the guys.

Even if you don’t get a trophy,
Remember all the good memories!

Locker

by Miguel

You make me late again.
You don’t open when I want you to.
You make me very mad.
Also, you embarrass me
in front of my friends.
But I like you
because you hold my things
so no one can get them.

A Window

by Brittany B.

A window may appear clear and square,
But when you look inside it there's something more there.
This piece of glass is full of life,
Full of emotions day to night.
It cuts you off from the world,
And creates soundless happiness
Where ever you are.
In the morning it's sun,
In the darkness it's stars
Magically streaming though your room.

The Picture on the Wall

by Emily F.

I see the people in the picture
Hanging on the wall of memories
Full of feelings some happy yet some sad
Wishing you were back there again
Where everyone felt as if that is where he or she belonged
Together with all the fun and joy
But that will never happen again
Because the world is way too busy
To feel as if you fit in
You may never have time to be together with the ones you love
Where love is given to a special few
But only in that special place
It may be only hanging on the wall for a little while
But that special place will be in my mind for eternity

Class Flag
by Lauren

During a time of war,
that flag is a reminder
of those who died
and of those who survived.
Glance up at it
from time to time,
from class to class,
I pass it by.
It waves unflagging
on the wall,
Always proud,
Always there.
There for one,
there for all.

Patriotism

by Nichole

I have cherry red strips

That has some white,

A big blue square

With fifty stars there.

You pledge to me everyday,

I will never fade away!

When you see me, you may feel sad,

But feel glad for I am the symbol for freedom!

You can think of heroes,

Or you can think of your local military.

You can feel proud, or scared

Because your family may be out there.

Fighting a war or getting ready to go,

Killings and defeats are painful reminders,

But that’s when we show the most pride for the U.S. all around!

We love the U.S.,

But we still are scared.

I show my love for my country every morning,

But I come down every evening.

Never let me touch the ground,

If you do, you show me that you don’t care for me!

I love my country for forever,

And I’m going to be here for forever!

Flag

by Carissa

Seven red stripes

Six white stripes

Fifty white stars

In a blue rectangle.

I feel protected

By our great country.

This flag stands for freedom

This flag stands for peace.

Shine Upon Me
by Hillary
Heavenly light
Shine upon me
Give warmth to our world
Smothered by hate
Fill our bodies with love
Shine upon me
Sing your song sweetly
That twinkling melody
Show us true harmony
Shine upon me
If we stop for a moment
We'll hear it, too
We'll sing along
Shine upon me
That breeze strengthens our souls
Your light fills our hearts
We hold hands and sing
Shine upon me
That warmth gives us courage
The courage to move on
Find peace in your heart Shine upon me
Brave hearts always win
When battles remain at peace
Love one another forever
Shine upon me!

FAVORITE THINGS

by Lynn

Blue is the water in my pool.
Black is my cat, Missy, who acts like a fool!
Orange is the color of the setting sun.
Green is the grass I roll around on.
Pink seashells are found on Virginia Beach.
Red are some ladybugs out of my reach.
White Albino mice are cute.
Brown is the color of a swimming newt.
Yellow are the eyes of my cat, Max.
Purple pansies always help me relax.

Our Place of Delight

by Colin

Our place of delight is the ocean blue,
A meadow of happiness.
Our place of delight's charm is immune to none,
A spell of enlightenment is cast upon it.
Our place of delight is a light in a dark cave,
A lighthouse beacon piercing the darkness.
Our place of delight has no room for unhappiness,
It's our oasis in the desert.
Our place of delight is where we play.

© Colin, 6th Grade
Selah Intermediate School
Selah, WA

Submitted by: Ms. Diamond (student teacher) in Mrs. Quigley's sixth grade class

Knights
        by TJ
Knights are our heros
They are our warriors
They represent the mightiness of middle
        school
They are the armor we stay under for
        protection
They are the the soothing moon pressing
        against the evil black sky
They are the protectors against all evil
trying to break through the armor and
        shatter our lives
        They are our heros.

© TJ, 6th Grade
Selah Intermediate School
Selah, WA

Submitted by: Ms. Diamond (student teacher) in Mrs. Quigley's sixth grade class

Exit
by AJ
Our key to freedom
Our only way out
The door to our cellar,
The part of the day we've all been waiting for.
We may exit but the learning will never stop.

© AJ, 6th Grade
Selah Intermediate School
Selah, WA

Submitted by: Ms. Diamond (student teacher) in Mrs. Quigley's sixth grade class

Life Pantoum
by Madeleine
Life is a roller coaster.
You have ups and downs.
Turns and twists.
Going every which way.
You have ups and downs.
Just like life.
Going every which way.
Sometimes going upside down.
Just like life.
You fly to the sky.
Sometimes going upside down.
Sometimes going down to the ground.
You fly to the sky.
Touching the clouds.
Sometimes going down to the ground.
Touching the grass.
Touching the clouds.
Life is a roller coaster.
Touching the grass.
Turns and twists.

Sun on My Back
by Angelina
I love summer.
I love the contrast
of the warm sun beating
on my back and the
freezing sea of water
when I jump into the
pool.
I love eating ice cream
while sitting in my backyard
and barbeque
and corn
and snowballs
and salad.
But most of all I
love the smell of summer.
The smell of warm sand,
And the Fourth of July
rolling around the corner.
I love the sound of summer.
I hear fireworks, and ice cream
trucks, and children splashing
and playing.
I feel like a flower
in the breeze.
Oh, how I love summer.

Haiku
by Helen
Bird on a sandbar
Fly low over the ocean
To catch tiny fish

Statue of Liberty

by Andrew S.

Blue sky, flame glowing,
ocean flowing. American symbol
green, brown, and yellow.
Lots of lost people
looking for answers it is
always there for tourists
to glare and stare.
All its wonderful beauty
as it remains motionless
it is there for all
to gaze as a
trademark of
New York,
U.S.A.

© Andrew S., 7th Grade
Ellington Middle School
Ellington, CT

Submitted by: Alison Padegimas

Chocolate Easter Bunny

by Marisa L.

While I sit near my Easter basket
I’m eating a medium sized, skinny, chocolate bunny
Thinking should I share or should I not?
It’s brown with yellow and blue eyes
With a big tail and long ears
My chocolate Easter bunny goes
Hop, hop, hop in my tummy
Yummy, yummy, yummy

Important Notice: All of the poems that appear on this page are copyrighted by and remain the property of the individual student. Please respect their work. Thank you!