I am a Clinking Drizzle of Rain

This week in Poetry, the young writers at Bell read The Delight Song of Tsoai-Talee by N. Scott Momaday. We talked about how metaphors allow writers to SHOW instead of directly TELL what they want to say, and that though the best comparisons are specific and descriptive, they can also leave room for interpretation in the mind of the reader. The students were asked to write their own "I Am" poems that used metaphors to describe all the parts of themselves, their personalities AND their physical selves. We also talked about what it means to "stand in good relation" to something or someone. Through discussion, we decided it meant a respectful, reciprocal relationship. The young poets added lines to their poems telling who or what they stand in good relation to. These lines turned out to be some of my favorites as I read all their pieces this week. Below, a sampling from each class. Enjoy!

Ms. Manuel’s Class
Earth
by Sonja G.

I am a horse galloping on a trail.
I am a flower popping out of the ground in springtime.
I am the snow falling on a winter day.
I am a bird chirping on a branch.
I am the sun coming up in the morning.
I am a book being read by a little girl.
I am a rainbow curving over a cloud in the sky.
I am a tree losing my leaves.

I stand in good relation to my dog, who likes to bark.
I stand in good relation to colors which make everything beautiful.

The Weirdo Songs
by Peter B.

I am a cheetah speeding through the park.
I am a shooting star, flying through space.
I am a bottle of sleeping powder putting someone to sleep.
I am a tree losing my leaves.
I am a horn waking everyone.
I am a fox, fast and crafty.
I am the coffee in your cup.
I am a magnet sticking to the board.

The Stranger
by Max D.

He is the jumping flame making light.
He is the smile in a beautiful face.
He is the coffee in our cups.
He is never the mean person.
He is the energetic person on stage.
He is the heart. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
He is the play monkey, green and red.
He is the color in your eyes.

He stands in good relation with friends.
He stands in good relation with animals.

HE IS ME!


Ms. Fukawa’s Class
The Young Tiger
by Bilal A.

I am a young tiger, bold and adventuress.
I am Einstein, smart, wise, an experiment trying person.
I am a chef in France making soup.
I am a wrestler, aggressive and tough.
I am a professional spy, not afraid of a challenge.
As you see, I am alive, I am alive.
With relations to friends and family.
With relations to Lords.
With relations to dignity and respect.
As you see, I am alive, I am alive.

Like Dolphins
by Jasmine M.

I am like computers.
I am like dolphins in water. Many people see me.
I am like a small baby elephant.
I am like a horse.
I am like the roar of a lion.
I am like the blue sky of birds.

I Am
by Josh B.

I am a fire breathing dragon.
I am a smiling snowman.
I am a loud firecracker.
I am a still ocean.
I am the still sky.
I am the mysterious moon.
I am the key to a door.
I am the cover to a book.

I stand in good relation to crafty people.
I stand in good relation to scoundrels.

I Am…
by Julia R.

I am a coyote attacking the dusk,
I am a butterfly hiding in a flower alone,
I am a clinking drizzle of rain,
I am a spirit, floating wispily,
I am an apple blossom, blooming in beauty,
I am a cloud, running across the sky,
I am a hill, quiet and going on forever,
I am silence, a Mozart piece playing beautifully,
I stand in good relation to God, to the earth,
I stand in good relation to nature.
I am a closet, dusty and quiet,
I am wind, hugging the world,
I am dreams, swirling in our minds.
I am me.


Ms. Furgason’s Class
Delight of Nature
by Susan S.

I am an orca swimming with the dolphins.
I am an eagle playing with the high winds.
I am a unicorn protecting a magical forest.
I am a young wolf practicing my hunting skills for big animals.
I am a horse running free with the wind.
I am a young puppy playing with my brothers and sisters.
I am a mountain standing far above the sky.
I am a wave, big and slow.
I stand in good relation with nature.
I stand in good relation with animals.

What I Am
by Angelica C.

I am a cat playing with a ball of yarn.
I am a girl afraid to speak.
I am a fish that swims all day.
I am a kid who loves to draw.
I am a clown who loves to throw pie.
I am a book who hates to be put down.
I am radio that never turns off.
I am a girl who never gives up.

I am, I am.
I stand in good relation to the universe.
I stand in good relation to all species.
I am, I am.


Ms. Chadhuri’s Class
I Am A…
by Hopey N. G.

I am a leaf falling, blowing in the wind.
I am a frog jumping from rock to rock in a river.
I am a tiger roaring like an echo.
I am a baby tree reaching up to the sky.
I am a chipmunk scurrying away from danger.
I am a dog walking alone on a street.
I am a deer getting a cool drink of water.
I am a circle of these things standing in a ring of color.

I stand in good relation to nature.
I stand in good relation to the rain.
I stand in good relation to everything mixed
up together in a cloud of dust.

Birds
by James F.

I am a hawk, piercing down below.
I am a falcon, ripping through the sky.
I am an eagle, puffing up my feathers.
I stand in good relation with the sparkling, windy sky.

I Am
by Katie S.

I am an elegant giraffe, eating leaves off a tall tree.
I am a stray cat, never refusing love.
I am a tree at the beginning of spring.
I am the first snow of winter.
I am a frog jumping around.
I am a robin flying up and down.
I am the water, sparkling in the sun.
I am the wind, blowing every which way.
I stand in good relation to my Aunt Cathy.
I stand in good relation to Earth.

Me
by Nathaniel G.

I am a car speeding across earth.
I am a ninja sneaking in the woods.
I am a jet flying around the world, looking down at earth.
I am a school getting ready to ring the bell for school to start.
I am a spring flower getting ready to bloom.
I am an ocean, waving and holding animals in me.
I am a campfire roasting marshmallows.
I am a clock ticking on the wall.

I stand in good relation to speed.
I stand in good relation to my family.
I stand in good relation to nature.
I stand in good relation to power.