Loud Voices

This week we were back to poetry after a three week break. We looked at Michael Ondaatje's Sweet Like a Crow and talked about simile, description, and imagery. The student writers then wrote their own simile poems, trying to describe either the sound of their OWN voice, or the sound of someone else's voice that they hear all the time. Enjoy the amazing poems!

Ms. Manuel’s Class

Deep Like the Ocean
by Kyle G.

My voice sounds like a soaring throat in a hurricane,
like an old man furious about his car,
like the Liberty Bell cracking into pieces,
even a group of men screaming at each other,
a lion’s roar scaring a bee and a scorpion,
some toads croaking for their lives,
a scream on a horror movie
like a dog killing a rat.

Loud
by Jacob J.

My voice sounds like a man reading
the bible in Chinese
like someone in the opera
like a president giving a boring speech
the clicking of a mouse for the computer
a man falling off a skyscraper
like a cat swimming in water
and someone stepping on a needle

My Voice Sounds…
by Matthew D.

My voice sounds like a lion roaring at the wind
an alien talking a foreign language
a cloner who succeeded
a man on a roller coaster
a tiger in the air snapping its jaws
a snap-snap of a turtle
a livestock of sheep
a millionaire in glee
a snow flake falling softly


Ms. Furgason’s Class

Your Voice
by Brian S.

Your voice sounds like a horse being hit by a 20,000 lb octagon, like nails being scratched against a chalk board, like an elephant being shoved into a small box, like an alien’s scream, like a cow drowning, like a bull being launched into the air, like a human imploding, like a magic man’s trick gone bad, like an angry mob, or like a 5 year old having coffee.

Loud and Quiet
by Deidre C.

My voice sounds like a plane engine trying
to start, a crow screaming at an enemy,
like a cat’s meow, like the spice of dragon
fruit, like a crocking frog about to splash into
the water, like falling onto the Sears Tower,
like ice cracking in the silence of the Arctic
like a tree falling when no one is around,
like snow drifting off a tree branch,
a baby just going to sleep, a dream
sneaking into a child.

My Voice Sounds…
by Julius S.A.

My voice sounds like a loud elephant eating a rose bush. Like 20 billion coconuts falling in the sea. Like a tiger growling at a hunter. Like rocks blowing in the wind. Like grass when you pull it out of the ground. Like a bowling ball hitting a hard marble floor. Like a boy yelling Cannon Ball! to the pool. Like a person slipping on ice. Like a monkey screaming. Like the sound of waves crashing.


Ms. Chadhuri’s Class

Sweet Like a Melon
by Hopey N.G.

Your voice sounds like nails scraping across a chalkboard. Like a melon being smashed against a wall. Like soup being poured into a ceramic china bowl. Like the tide coming in. Like the wheels of a car when turning the corner. Like a book suddenly being slammed closed. Like the juice seeping out of a newly opened fruit. Like tea being poured into a tea cup. Like a plate falling from a 4 foot diving board onto the sidewalk. Like the wind picking up sticks and throwing them at a moaning and whimpering dog.

Shush
by Michael M.

Your voice sounds like a snake
hissing in the jungle.
A raindrop on a stove.
Like molasses in fast forward,
like explosions,
like someone stuck in tar,
like a guitar with broken strings.

As Sweet as a Swan
by Rachel H.

Your voice sounds like a gentle wave hitting the shore, the soft song of the birds in springtime, like the wind whistling through the silent ocean, a bee buzzing in your ear, like a cat purring on your lap. As sweet as the syrup from the tree, and as sweet as the fine sand falling through the space between your fingertips or a swan swimming through the pond.


Ms. Darnell’s Class

Sweet Like a Lizard
by Katherine D.

My voice sounds like a rainbow lizard
like a dolphin being pulled from her dad
like a wave, sad and afraid
like a star coming to earth but no one likes her
like a rat stealing but then finding out that is wrong
like a kit kat saying Don’t eat me!
like the world taking one step at a time
like the color blue sometimes bright sometimes dark
like Sunday always bright
like a chipmunk, mean and nice

My Personality Voice
by Destiny F.

My voice sounds like
a person getting farther
and farther away, like
a someone screaming from
another universe, like someone
with no oxygen, as loud as
a lion as small as a turtle.
My voice is as deep as a poetry writer
as cool as a scientist, lame like a geek,
it sounds like the old running creek
like a shallow ground of thunder
like Friday and a big bad blunder.
It’s loud and proud like
a basketball layer, like a
dolphin squealing when I’m
sick, like a beating but then
stopping. This is what it sounds like.

Sweet Like a Puppy
by Maddy P.

My voice sounds like a mouse saying
she loves her kids.
It is as sweet as a puppy
with a kitten.
It’s like a person saying
goodnight and I’ll miss you.
Just like a book in the back
of the shelf, shy and silent.
It’s like art, colorful, but also
very bright.
It can be as loud as a drum.
Friendly as the sun.
It’s like the wind, very soft and smooth.
Like a celebrity, VERY HAPPY.
Just like Friday and the color green.

Sweet as Fire
by Bronte F.

My voice sounds like cracking fire
like a bird being carried off into the clouds
like a heart pumping blood.
A toad croaking in a swamp.
A jet soaring up,
like a lion hunting its prey,
like a mouse, squeaky and small.
Like a Monday, annoying,
a goat being gathered by a Shepard
a cat pouncing through branches.