Poetry in Public
A Project of Mr. Stewart’s
Eighth Grade English Students
April 2013
Mister Stewart
Copyright 2013 Mister Stewart
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Please note that the first two letters correspond to the poet’s initials, followed by the class period.
Period One Picture
Period Two Picture
Period Three Picture
Period Four Picture
Period Eight Picture
AA P4 – “A cloudy day, no light, only shade”
BB P4 – “A hot summer day”
EB P1 – “Let the hearts beat forever!”
KB P8 – “Madness”
RB P3 – “Looking over the whole world”
AC P4 – “Eagle Eye”
DC P8 – “FLASH”
JC P1 – “In the night she shines with all its beauty”
JD P4 – “Waiting for My Wonderland”
HF P4 – “Everyone and everything is quiet”
SF P4 – “Outside”
IG P3 – “Butterflies”
IG P4 – “The darkness”
PG P3 – “A pleasant chill is in the air”
GH P0 – “Forgetting”
MH P8 – Art is an alternate universe in my opinion”
NH P1 – “The world is unfair”
TH P2 – “Do not take apart your computer”
SH P4 – “The world would be better without you”
BJ P3 – “My black box of joy”
ZJ P3 – “The black canvas covered the sky”
SK P1 – “On a boat like a boss”
TK P1 – “The world like us has bad days and good days”
AL P1 – “Life”
RL P8 – “Interrupted”
TL P1 – “You might hate her”
AM P4 – “Above”
MM P4 – “The world, a giant rainbow sherbet”
MM P0 – “Forgetting”
SM P1 – “The way she walks seems like it has no purpose”
SM P2 – “The Sky”
ANP3 – “Morning”
TN P8 – “The sun rose not even thinking”
AP P3 – “Hair the color of lions fur”
AP P8 – “A castle that stands high in clouds”
EP P3 – “A girl of courage is all I see”
LP P2 – “School is a jail”
BQ P3 – “I remember the day of moonlight”
GR P2 – “Why do people think that life's so great?”
MS P8 – “Water thank you for taking my thirst away”
AS P2 – “Soccer is what I play”
AS P3 – “A Morning”
YS P8 – “Dreams”
JT P8 – “The Almighty Queen”
SV P2 – “Everywhere in the world clocks tick”
CY P1 – “The sun, warm and majestic”
Period One
Period Two
Period Three
Period Four
Period Eight
AA P4
A cloudy day, no light, only shade,
The smell of hurt a chilling breeze, it feels like a war ground,
I’m at a park,
Not just any park though,
One where Colossal structures frolick and tower over,
My presence is of a mosquito’s to them,
I stand in their shadows just as Wander did.
Their looks, they begin to bother,
I can’t take it any longer,
His spirit absorbs me and I attack,
I search for the beacon, it will appear,
I point my sword right at it, I know that he is here,
He knows the same of me, it disturbs him,
He turns, but I’ve already mounted,
Climbing so high holding on by hairs,
Reaching the peak,
My meter is done, the time has come,
I shoot towards the ground,
Smashing, flipping, holding on for my life,
I have come to be the victor and as the victor I will outlast,
Such a rush! Adrenaline pumps through my veins,
But I must not stop I know that she waits,
My beautiful Mono, unconscious and feeling gray,
Lying on the stone where I left her,
Enchanted and anything but gay,
There’s no color where she lay,
I must change that,
Fifteen colossi left,
I must conquer them all.
* * * *
BB P4
“A hot summer day”
There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction
Of a radiant sun
Beaming down own on your skin.
Sitting by the pool,
The scorching rays soaking into your arms
Ever so calming.
Your headphones in,
Hearing nothing but the soothing music
That acts almost like a lullaby.
Relaxation at it’s finest.
In the distance you see a few kids,
Running and enjoying the warmth.
The water so calm and motionless,
Scintillating in the sunlight.
It appears as a glass wall.
So fragile,
That even the slightest touch,
Will shatter the beauty.
Over by the grill, you hear the sizzle,
Of the warm, burning steak.
You smell the fresh cut grass
On this hot, serene, summer day.
* * * *
EB P1
Let the hearts beat forever!
Let them run and be wild
Screaming ‘I love you!’
As they explore and learn
They will be broken and scared.
So it’s up to me to mend their hearts.
Let the hearts beat forever!
For scared hearts are everywhere.
And new hearts are barely spared.
Teach them that they’re not alone
And it’s only the cruel game you play with life.
So it’s up to me to mend their hearts.
Let the hearts beat forever!
Because now that your heart is fixed
It’s up to you to spread the word
Don’t give up.
You’re not alone.
You’ll find love soon.
So keep moving on.
So it’s up to you to mend their hearts.
Don’t worry, you’ll exceed
In helping the new hearts wondering.
Warn them ahead; don’t let them look back,
For love is just a bump in the road
That leads to paradise.
So it’s up to you to let those hearts beat forever!
* * * *
KB P8
“Madness”
As doubtfulness arises.
You question your existence;
Antipathy begins between you and your mind.
You rage and ask, why?
People call you odd.
You begin to agree;
And you rage,
But still no change.
You ask, why?
You search for answers;
But there are none.
You keep searching;
Looking for answers.
But there are none.
You begin to ask,
Am I mad?
You rage,
But still no change.
Your mind calls you eccentric.
You ask, why?
You search for answers;
But there are none.
As the antipathy becomes too much
You become mad.
You plead with your mind,
Please no more.
But it won’t stop.
And you blink out.
* * * *
RB P3
Looking over the whole world,
I could see everything imaginable
The mist of the clouds
grazed my face and I inhale
I blink
8,000 feet high
The altitude makes my brain feel nutty
It might double over in my skull
An area stuffed with history
Old and new
Like a turkey on Thanksgiving
The words just spill out of the tour guide’s mouth
He goes on and on
Filling my plate with too much Quechua
I turn to the left and
The vistas steal my breath
I turn to the right
I am blinded by llama
This llama is looking
He wants a battle
“Terrazas” my
Teacher exclaims
Interrupting our duel
There is so much urgency in her voice
So unnecessary
Relax
Breath in that chilled mountain air
Click a picture
A nice one
to decorate your Instagram
Memorize the green
The green is everywhere
Say goodbye
Roll back down the mountain
Say goodbye to Machu Picchu
* * * *
AC P4
“Eagle Eye”
Almond shaped
Round as a freckle on your cheek
Closing like a garage door
Or opening
Like the wings of a hawk
Perhaps a raven
Who knows
It's unperceivable
Until you turn around
Let me see them
Small trees on the top brim
The trunk so twig-like
Add a hue
To fit your pigment
To lift them up
So the trunks and leaves
Face the sky
And inside
A white
Like cracking open a coconut
A thousand black firecrackers
Running around a black hole
And the brim
A circuit of any shade
Or many shades
Like the canvas
Of frustrated composer
A cobalt looking glass
A grassy kaleidoscope
Chestnut binoculars
Lavender below them
You seem so tired
Saddened
Two beacons
Maneuvering me
To your affections
Agitation, Anger
Lust, Bliss
Sometimes I can't tell
You hide behind a veil
* * * *
DC P8
“FLASH”
On that frightful night.
It was darker then a black hole.
The only light was from a howling moon.
I gassed across the street and saw him.
My shaking hand rose.
Two quick flashes.
Bang Bang.
Those were the last sounds
he heard.
The last thing he saw,
blood coming from his heart
His face was sad and scared.
His last words will haunt me
forever.
“Why, what for?”
Now I hear the police.
They put me in the car.
The slam of justice
hit me like a brick.
Prison is my life now.
I know nothing else.
This is my life.
Don’t make my mistakes.
* * * *
JC P1
In the night she shines with all its beauty.
The moon knows how lonely it is at night yet,
She’s there every night watching us sleep peacefully but,
She’s also there for those who can’t sleep
And feel alone at 3am.
She’s beautiful the way she shines
In the darkness she’s mysterious,
She’s the queen she owns the night, the stars,
The sky its all hers.
No matter how bad the day was when you lay down
And look at her
You see how lonely she is and
How sad she seems
But she’s still there hanging on
And so should you.
* * * *
JD P4
“Waiting for My Wonderland”
It’s had my attention since my first glimpse.
At such a young age, so easily distracted.
The bright colors and foolishness
It made no sense
But that was the point.
Dark forest green
Bright Cheshire pink.
The brother’s tale of oysters.
And songs of merry unbirthdays.
The wonderful land of Wonderland
Forgotten for years.
Until found again.
New perspectives, new knowledge.
The different reality seen with different eyes.
Now not only entertainment
But an escape from other’s realities.
Today the insignificant girl does not hold my attention.
Nor does the Hatter or the Hare
Though they are close runner ups.
It’s the feline that holds no malice towards Alice
That is the star of my show.
He always has his grin
He speaks the most nonsense of them all.
Mischief is his entertainment
And trickery is his hobby.
I do wish Wonderland weren’t so out of reach.
Though there seems to be no age limit
And that offers some relief.
I’m still waiting for a glimpse of McTwisp,
And a gathering with Iracebeth.
Still waiting, waiting for my Wonderland.
* * * *
HF P4
Everyone and everything is quiet,
no one even blinks.
The ball is turned three time in the servers hand.
A long breath escapes,
like the soft morning wind,
the ball is thrown, hit,
than flies through the air,
as if it was trying to reach the clouds,
being bumped, set, hit,
the never ending sound of the ball swimming
through the air toward everyone as it goes in all directions.
One final swoosh as it starts to tip over the net,
a girl jumps with her hands outstretched,
the fingers fall and smack!
The ball slams to the floor as the setter lands safely on her feet.
There is one short moment of silence,
before the crowd cheers.
* * * *
SF P4
“Outside”
Outside, the smell of pine by the river
drifting lazily along in the long summer days,
drifting past a cabin, cozy, warm.
The red paint peels slightly from age,
and the cool breeze comes down from the appalachian mountains
carrying away the normally stiflingly hot air of West Virginia summertime.
The green grass of the valley gave it a very peaceful look.
There was a family of whitetail deer around back of the cabin,
eating from the overgrown, untended garden, carefully stepping
over the rusted spade and hoe.
The ba
ck door of the cabin was broken, and hung off the rusty hinges
like a broken tree branch after a storm.
A large crow had started a nest in the hood of a truck,
rusted and old, without a drop of gas in the tank. Grass was growing
on the seats, and a hole had opened in the roof.
In a pine tree by the stream, a raven took flight and glided to the cabin.
He circled a few times, then landed on the second floor window.
It was shattered, and the frame had holes in it from buckshot.
A corpse lay there, a man, striped of his valubles.
His gun was taken, and his food gone.
He was shot by raiders in this post-apocalyptic hell,
Just because he wanted to survive in this overpopulated world.
The raven cawed twice, then flew away.
* * * *
IG P3
“Butterflies”
He stands.
Tall.
Proud.
All of his towers, made of stone.
They come to the window.
Our orange and black butterflies.
Our monarchs.
She wears gowns of silk.
Adorned with amethysts and diamonds.
He with robes of purple.
They both stand like him.
Like their symbol of power.
Tall.
Proud.
He stands.
Tall.
Proud.
He may be gray,
But his heart is white.
The color of the sun.
Happiness.
Power.
His heart holds their seats.
Holds their butterflies.
Holds their land.
He can be seen from miles away.
He stands.
Tall.
Proud.
He is loved by his people.
He is loved by his butterflies.
Because of his beauty.
His power.
He stands.
Tall.
Proud.
* * * *
IG P4
The darkness,
Everywhere,
A never ending beast
That wraps you up in his cold grip.
The only resistance is given
By the faint light of the moon.
But even that,
Is swallowed up.
For a time the night rules
In total control
And then,
The smallest slivers of light,
Heralding the coming
Of a new day.
The darkness resists,
Clinging adamantly
To his empire
Fighting even harder
As the cancerous light grows.
The light keeps coming,
In a never ending stream.
The darkness,
Already coming to a close
Vanishes,
Without a trace
When his conflagrant mortal enemy
Begins her fiery ascension