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Lacrosse Ball
By Tucker Stearns
Inspired by Jaqueline Sweeney

If I was a lacrosse ball
I'd fly,
Curled up small
In the air,
Getting dizzy from cradling
I'd get checked
And fall
Be thrown from stick to stick
I'd soar through the air
And fly,
And fall to the ground again
Bounce
Get scooped back into play
Zoom!
I'd whip into the net
For the winning goal!
 

If  I Was a Skateboard
       By Zehra Cushman
  
If I was a skateboard
I'd zoom through streets,
parks,
and parking lots.

I'd beat the speed limit
and make my wheels screech.

As I'd turn around in an ollie,
I'd feel my owner's feet
fly off me.

I'd tumble over, 
trying to stop,
My painted skin becoming
scraped and bruised.

My owner would catch up and
WHAM!
He'd stomp on my end,
and catch me
in his sweaty hand .

He'd pick me up
And I would feel loved
like a baby getting all of the
attention.
 

If I was a Sailboat
by Kate Anderson
Inspired by Jacqueline Sweeney

If I was a sailboat I'd
WOOSH!
through the water head
in the bow,
stretching my body
to the stern
of the boat.
I'd have my arms
out and open
waiting for the wind
to pick up

I would be white,
with a shiny steel pole,
and I would have a little
black motor
in case I got lost
in the middle of nowhere

I'd go right over a wave
with a crash...
OUCH!
Right smack in the face
WOOSH!
goes the smooth wind
against my body,
drying off
the water droplets.
 

The trees sway gently in the breeze. My eyes are swelling with tears. I see the towering mountains and silently swear to myself that I will someday return to this beautiful state. Climbing into the backseat of the car, I strap on my seatbelt as I whisper "Goodbye."

Beautiful colors

Drifting down the dark waters

A bright night of light

Golden lion cub

Staring into far distance

In an endless green field

If I had the power to solve one problem it would be water pollution in our country. Pollution in our waters impacts our available drinking water. Sixty-five percent of our nation's drinking water is provided by rivers and streams. Threeats from untreated sewage dumped annually pollute our drinking water. Water pollution also impact fishermen too. Fishermen on the Gulf of Mexico have been negatively impacted by the B.P. oil spill of April 20, 2010. Oil polluted the water and negatively impacted ocean life, making fishermen unable to sell their catch. This is why water pollution is a problem in the United States.

Green, you are my favorite color,

And out of all the rest

Purple, blue, and orange.

I think you are the best!

You are the color of nature,

Even though the sky is blue,

I think YOU stand out best,

You really do!

I wish you were on falcons,

Because they are my favorite birds.

Sometimes I think green is not a color,

But my favorite word.

Its the color of trees,

Its the color of the world,

And some day soon, I think it will be,

One gigantic swirl.

Lights dimming,

Eyes intensifying,

Voices fading,

Curtains opening,

The performance begins.

Opening her hand, the key gleamed in the moon light. The leaves squished under Elizabeth's bruised feet as she attempted to stand, thinking of the energy needed to go forward. She was motivated to take those last few steps to the door; "click." The door silently swung open and for the first time Elizabeth saw the other side...

If I was a Baseball
by Kobe Kessler
Inspired by Jacqueline Sweeney

If I was a baseball
I'd soar above the field,
I would think
my red stripes
would blur
as I would
fly overhead 
I would hit the ground,
roll to a player,
get scooped up, and
sit there in the soft cushion
of the palm of his glove,
resting for only
a moment
before I'd be
thrown back
to the pitcher
and then again
I would soar
Whack!
Ouch!
Why do they
use metal bats?

Being A Diary
by Sophie Davis
Inspired by Jacqueline Sweeney 

If I was a diary
I'd read what my owner
Writes in me with her big
Purple splattery inked pen
And I’d want to tell all my friends
What I read
And if I told the secrets
My owner
Would rip me up into pieces
And throw me into a
Dark, gray, scary trash can.
I’d stay there and be so lonely
And sad
I would get covered in rotten food,
And smell
And rot in the dump..... 
So maybe it's good 
That I really don't have any friends
Because I live under an old
Sweaty mattress
And keep my secrets to myself!
 

Expedition Everest
By Adam Galuszka
Inspired by Valerie Worth

In the line for
Expedition Everest
You brace yourself
For the really fast ride
Your stomach lunges forward
Like you are
Going to be sick
Hair flying everywhere
Then you see no more track
Panic!
It goes back
Really fast like
It's going
To fall to the
Ground
Then it goes down
To the end of the
Ride
And a  sudden quick
Stop tells you
The ride is over
You breathe a sigh
Of relief.

I've Been Cleaning my Room
by Harriet Anderson
Inspired by “I've Been Working on the Railroad”

I've been cleaning up my room
all the live long day.

I've been cleaning  up my room
singing while I play.

I'll never get this done
cause I'm not working very hard.

Maybe I should open my window
and throw all my clothes in the yard.

I've been thinking of a Poem
By Emma Jackman
Inspired by “I've been working on the railroad”

I've been thinking of a poem
But it's not working well

I've been working on a poem
Trying to think of something swell

Don't you see me thinking
Hard in my head

Don't you see me erasing
I'm almost out of lead
 

Barbies
by Sophie Davis
Inspired by “I've Been Working on the Railroad”

I've been playing with my barbies
All vacation long.
I've been playing with my barbies
While I'm singing this song.
Don't you hear me singing?
So late at night.
Don't you hear my mom shouting,
“Sophie turn out the light!”
 

My sister, Kate, and I were taking a walk in a different neighborhood when we saw a forest. We walked over to edge of the forest, plowed through the brush, and gently pushed some of the branches apart. There, among the soaring grass was an abandoned house! It had tattered curtains, broken and shattered windows, and a welcome sign hanging on the door. Kate dared me to walk up the old steps. They creaked loudly as I carefully tiptoed to the door of the house. I slowly turned the doorknob and slithered inside. Kate followed me in. I went over to an old shelf and gently touched it. Some of the dust came off on my finger pads. “I’m going to investigate the upstairs.” I told Kate.  

​Crash! I heard glass shatter downstairs with Kate. “What’s that?” I questioned. “Kate, Kate, Kate!” my voice grew louder as I yelled for my sister.  As I ran downstairs, I asked “Why did you do that? You gave me a fright.”  

“I found money behind the lamp and wanted to count it.” She protested. “I counted some 100, dollar bills… wow. I can’t believe I just found that.”

I helped her clean up the newly broken glass in the living room. “Sorry, Grace… ouch!” Kate yelled as she stepped on a piece of broken glass.

“We should leave the money and go home to get the glass out of your foot.” I said.   “We’ll come back another day to investigate the house again.”​                                                                                                                                                              

Perfect day

Breezy, sunny

Licking, tasting, laughing,

Chocolate ice cream, four toppings!

Dripping, sliding, splatting

Grouchy, mopey,

A depressing

day.

Perfect day
Blazing, sunny
Imagining, relaxing, laughing
I love to read
Dreaming, adoring, resting,
Drowsy, Satisfied
Sun sets
 

Trampoline
by Maria Kilbride
Inspired By Valerie Worth
 
On my friend's
Trampoline
We jump up and down
With the garden hose
While water is splashing
like fireworks and
Spraying us with
Ice cold water
We look for
Rainbows
As we bounce
And when we see them
We run as fast
As we can
Trying to catch them
To find
A pot of gold
At the end
But they are always
Too fast
For us!

Maple Syrup
By Jessica Kennedy
Inspired by Valerie Worth

I smell
Maple syrup
As we hike
Among maple trees
Toward the shack
With steam
Pouring out of
the windows
and chimney
I go in and
Say hi to
Dad's friend
When I see
Golden brown
Sap
Bubbling away
And Dad's friend
Gives me a
Taste
In a little cup...
“Tastes delicious!”
I say

Kitten
By Kobe Kessler

In the grass
the kitten stalks
a dried leaf
he pounces
thump
he holds the
leaf between
two small front paws
he rolls
over and over
he purrs
happily then
the leaf blows
away
and he stops
and watches
it go.

Mud Trouble
Inspired by Valerie Worth
By Tucker Stearns

In the mud
The kid lies down
Rolling,
Screaming, “This is fantastic!”
Cheeks brown,
Under a really beautiful sky
On a steep muddy hill,
Body covered in mud
Laughing,
Being a mud giant
Rolling, rolling, rolling,
With devilish eyes,
Mom comes around
The corner,
Her eyes
Light up,
And turn as round
As disco balls,
And she
Screams, “Oh my gosh!”
Then the kid looks
Up at his mom
And they both start
Laughing!

Trampoline
by Maria Kilbride
Inspired By Valerie Worth
 
On my friend's
Trampoline
We jump up and down
With the garden hose
While water is splashing
Like fireworks and
Spraying us with
Ice cold water
We looked for
Rainbows
As we bounce
And when we see them
We run as fast
As we can
Trying to catch them
To find
A pot of gold
At the end
But they are always
Too fast
For us!

         Spring Animals          
By Jessica Kennedy
Inspired by Valerie Worth

Deer are
In the yard
Grazing on
Lush green grass
And pink flowers as I hear
Hop hop hop and
A rabbit
Hops by
To eat
The carrot
I put out
Under a tree
For her
And a butterfly
Flutters by
Trying to find the flowers
We planted in the garden
While fish and frogs
Swim and jump
At the stream..
We watch from
Our pink picnic blanket and
I say,
“Spring is back”
With a smile
And my mom said,
“Spring is back.”

There once was a boy named Koltin. Koltin lived in an old house. He wanted to go but he didn't have to pay for it, so he stayed. But he didn't want to. He was frightened by all the cobwebs. At first it was clean and nice, but now look at it. You don't want to see it. It looks dusty and dirty and worst of all, spooky.

Koltin went off to buy food one morning. when he got back he saw a ghost. "Remember me," said the ghost, "from the other night?"

"Help! Someone!" called Koltin.

Koltin yelled and screamed. No one came. "I will die alone," he thought. He ended up running away because he found out the door wasn't locked.

Koltin ended up moving away.

Under the Maple Tree
by Harriet Anderson

Under the maple tree
with chocolate ice cream
in my hand
I lick
the melting gooey mess
that drips down my chin
like I am drooling 
It slides down my arms
and hands
and down my legs
and to my feet
but I don't care
I just start              
to lick it up
as fast as possible
so bees won't come
and sting
the newly sweetened
me! 

Springtime
By Pearl Sutton
Inspired by Valerie Worth

Outside
Birds are chirping
The sun is shining
The temperature is rising so
Slimy muddy
Grass changes to green
Pink buds are blooming and
Cool breezes blow
Flowers are sprouting and
Kids are running
Bees are buzzing and
Children are smiling
Leaves are growing on
Trees and
Cheeks are burning
Pink
Winter hats turn
Into caps
For
Springtime.
  
 

Apple Orchards
By Reagan Kayhart
Inspired by Valerie Worth

Outside in March
With no snow
For the sun to melt
It's so warm out here
I can wear shorts
And flip-flops
But it's going to get cold
Next week
What will happen
To the budding
Apple trees?
All the buds will
Freeze...
And there will be
No apples
For applesauce,
Pies,
and cider.