Art á Loan 2023

Poem: “Morning Song” by Lively Hampton
Grade: 1
School: Homeschool

Hear the birds chirping
They’ll wake you up.
The squirrels are chittering
They’ll wake you up.
The sun is out shining.
If you open your eyes a peek,
It’ll wake you up
What o’clock do you think it is?
What o’clock do you think it is?
Morning, Morning!
It is morning!
Don’t sleep in, just wake up!

Poem: “Colors” by Aria Allen
Grade: 1
School: Sharp Park Academy

Colors can be fun but
Only pink is a color I
Love pink, it’s my favorite
Only me I am unique
Red is fine but I like pink
Sunny yellow is fine too but I like pink.

Poem: “The Song of Sorry Stars” by Emma Brugger
Grade: 10
School: Northwest High School

Words.
Words can’t help me now.
They cannot send their souls
upon the seas of sentences
to hold the boat of sorrows up:
to keep the sad bow from sinking.
The sail upon the mast is torn.
The supplies have been thrown overboard.
The sorrys aren’t enough to keep the storm
away.
And the sky of words has been choked,
stifled.
So the ships sink slowly,
sweetly,
soft like honey,
while words of wisdom wish to whisper
and words of woe overwhelm
the sickened sky, soaked in grey,
and all the words whisk away,
leaving sentences wholly unformed
and begging for guidance,
lifting their lethargic limbs to hear no response.
And in their dance, the boat is tossed;
in their cry, the sound is lost,
and all that is left is crashing, crashing,
rain splashing,
drowning out the sound of the silent sky,
and drowning the sinking ship of sorrow.
All the while, words shine
sheepishly
in their celestial lofts,
and mourn the absence of their sorry brothers
below.
And they send their souls to other seas
while the sorrows in mine flow.
When creation wakes from languid slumber,
Not to mourn in sorrow, despite
the loss of what the night has plundered,
bend their heads towards radiant light,
stars unseen no longer testify
and flowers yet do not complain,
birdsong fills the flowing sky,
as sweet, soulful, sunbeams rain
down from shining heavens above,
leaving no space for sore starsong.
Their light is drowned out by love,
and hidden are the heav’nly throngs
of nighttime’s scintillating birds,
that so often by their wings,
whisper to the poet words.
‘Tis by night, the poet sings.
But now, trees unfold toward the sky
and the grass extends its hands,
in their silence lift a cry
that wordsmiths cannot understand.
They cannot capture color’s flight,
nor believe birds’ beautiful calls,
for only outlines exist in night,
and words cannot encompass all.
Joyous day bring flowers bending,
soaking up whate’er they can.
Rejoice, for now the night is ending,
and the poet can no longer wield the pen
to write of sorrows o’er the seas,
to speak of suff’ring in stormy skies.
Now, only praise songs do appease
his writing hand and seeing eyes.
He no longer need to dream,
nor to sit within his pain,
when he lay beneath the beams
of hope that forever reigns.

And it is in this, that I am speechless

Poem: “Mango” by Elena Ou
Grade: 1
School: Sharp Park Academy

Soft
Sweet
Juicy
Green
Orange Oval
Mango
Yellow
Yummy

Poem: “Journey” by Juniper Ramirez
Grade: 2
School: Homeschool

Day after day
Night after night
We’re still not there

Car after car
Truck after truck
But we’re still not there

Houses and trees
And the grass and the fog
We drive through it all
But we’re still not there yet

Station after station
Hotel after hotel
But… finally we’re there!

Poem: “Serene World” by Layla Claus
Grade: 5
School: Concord Elementary

Your eyes so small and the world so wide.
Pearls in the sea, hidden deep inside.

The world you know, not the one you see,
Has magic deep down where only you can be.

Where the light shines bright, where the trees so tall,
Where the ocean speaks, where the north winds call.

Where you can be free at last,
Where you can live with happiness that will everlast.

Where you fall into water, but yet you still walk,
Where you can speak to the mountains, oh, how much they talk

Where you can dream in peace, without worry or fret,
Where you can touch your heart with no feeling of regret

Where you can rise to the clouds and dance within,
Or further to hug the stars and sink right in.

This serene world brings a feeling that’s soft, yet unexplainable
A feeling that’s numbing and uncontainable

This place heals you, warms you
You can escape the pain and the rue

This place lets you emerge new and clean
So you may return to reality

Even if this place is in your dreams
You will always remember these things:

Life is beautiful, this world so serene
We must help the trees grow, help the sun gleam

We must cherish the wild and the woods
Must save these things; must be good

This serene world is everything
For you and me, for anything

Because between the emerald trees and streams that swirl
We all have our own SERENE WORLD

Poem: “Homework” by Harley Buck
Grade: 5
School: Hanover-Horton Elementary School

Half
Of
My
Energy
Wasted
On
Random
Knowledge

Poem: “Doggy Day” by Abigail Dodds
Grade: 2
School: Homeschool

Daisy was fluffy,
When she was small.
That’s what I liked
Most of all.

She puts her stick
On the ground,
And then she begs and
Lays right down.

Because she loves fetch,
The stick she will catch.

“Chase me” she begs
And she runs away.
These are the games
That she loves to play.

Poem: “Icicle” by Clara Uphaus
Grade: 3
School: Homeschool

Freezing rain falling from the sky
pitter-patters on the rooftop
dripping down like a long wet tear
until bitter cold makes it stop.
A sharp dagger shining and clear
sparkling brilliantly in the sun
waiting for winter to be done.

Poem: “Forest Secrets” by Kolbe Uphaus
Grade: 6
School: Homeschool

Where ever slanting forest and trees
Shingled light with greenest leaves
And every forest secret kept
Where ne’er a thing has laughed or wept

And deep within this secret hold
Lay long forgotten days of old
The trees alone can tell the tales
But ne’er will the glistening dales

For they will hold in secret depths
The good, the bad, the health, the deaths
And every other thing that’s past
Under the green canopies vast

The ever bending branches and leaves
Where under stands the trunks of trees
With roots well under forest earth
Will ever hold all mis’ry and mirth

Title: “Proud of Me” by Maeve McGee
Grade: 5
School: Warner Elementary

No one can tell me who I can and can’t be
I am me
And I am proud of me
I played sports, I don’t do dance, I don’t like pretty princesses
But that’s okay because I am free, free
Free to be me
You try to tell me how to play and I say
There are no rules to this game
You can’t tell me who I can and can’t be
I am different and I want to be
You are just afraid to be different
You are just afraid to stand out in the crowd
I am proud
I am proud
I am proud of me
No one can tell me who I can and cannot be
Go ahead and try
You can’t make me cry
I’m not your puppet
You can’t control my strings
I am me and you can’t control me
You can’t control what makes me tick
You call me a nerd, you call me a geek
But that’s okay
I just say hey thanks for the compliment
I am me
And I am proud of me
No one can tell me who I can and cannot be
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me
I am me and I am proud of me
Proud of me
Proud of me

Poem: “Flowers” by Megan Manchester
Grade: Kindergarten
School: Homeschool

Flowers bloom.
Flowers stay.
But not always.
They sometimes might stay longer,
But it’s most likely
They stay in summer
And go in winter.

Poem: “Neighborhoods” by Luke Zielinski
Grade: 7
School: Northwest Kidder Middle School

The illuminated sunset over the horizon
The crevices in the roads
Freshly trimmed green grass
The trees twirled in the breeze
Street posts elevated above me
The chuckles and giggles from the kids
Bikes rushing by left and right
The showers of water droplets on the concrete
The looming shadows of houses
The chirping birds
The lawnmowers in the distance
The crisp cleansed air flowing through my lungs
The undisturbed deer grazing on grass
A frog bounding for the grass
The separation from cars and phones
The wind brushes your face like a paintbrush touching a wall
The winding landscape over the horizon
A chipmunk bolting into the nearby brush
My voice echoes through the neighborhood

Poem: “A Soldier Fighting for Me” by Bella Berry
Grade: 12
School: Hanover-Horton High School

As I see he puts on the gear to head out the door,
A friendly gentle smile, as he waves his last.
Fighting for me he goes, off to save others
Others that are fighting for me with him, he is the soldier of my freedom.
Freedom for me and to others one and all,
The freedom is the one he serves.

It goes by week by week,
Month after month,
Day after day,
I hear nothing of the soldier,
The soldier that risked everything for me.
Is nowhere to be seen or heard,
I start to worry for my strong warm soldier.

On the day of veterans day,
I wait and wait for my soldier to arrive,
As I see the car that drives upon my drive.
To welcome that friendly smile once again.
I run and hug my soldier that fought for me.
So warm to be in the arms once again,
Of the sweet soldier that fought for me.

Poem: “My Crazy Day” by Tobin Sheley
Grade: 7
School: Northwest Kidder Middle School

Hey buckaroo
If I made you a stew
It would be made of kangaroo
That I found in the zoo
He would be blue
Have a tattoo
And the flu
I bet he would taste like glue
And after you chew
On my kangaroo stew
You will realize something new…
And you look down and see a canoe
That is made out of bamboo
And after you slurp up some nasty brew
You’ll put some in the fondue
Making it a bunch of goo
At this point, I might have to sue
I wait for your cue
And then we went for a walk on 25th avenue
During our walk, you needed a tissue
And that’s when I knew
That you were a shoe!
Later that day after I made that kangaroo stew
And after we made that kangaroo stew fondue goo
And after we walked on 25th avenue
And after you needed a tissue
And after I realized that you were a shoe
Then we go home and look at the view
The view would be a very taboo cashew
And then I argue
With that taboo cashew
But I got bored so I decided to…
Learn jujitsu!

Poem: “Unfinished” by Thomas Hays
Grade: 11
School: Napoleon High School

A poem never tells the whole story,

but only what is seen by one person,
unable to view the grand scope of the
world from one pair of eyes. The poet is

a blind man touching an elephant’s trunk,
describing only what he can see. Yet
is this not the duty of an artist?

None of us can see the full picture of
life, instead describing what we alone
can know. I cannot know what role my deeds

may play in another’s life, what wheels will
turn other wheels, where the story will end.
I can only live my life, knowing that

I have left an impact upon the world.
Thus are all poems like stories: always

Poem: “I Am” by Elijah Loew
Grade: 3
School: Jackson Christian Elementary

I am a bear strong and tough
I am a drum deep and loud
I am a tsunami powerful and mighty
I am me loyal and determined

Poem: “The World” by L’Mear Robinson
Grade: 11
School: Jackson High School

As we go on and the world moves along
The days go by and keep flowing
We think of ourselves not those who need help
For them, sorrow sings its song
We want clout and fame
We see the frame but never the picture
As we go on
The world grows sicker and we refuse to change
We move as if the problems of the past have passed
Yet they still exist
We have pollution and poverty
But we’re worried about a following
And all these material things
The temporary joy they bring
And turn our back on those around us
As if they were ghost
The people who are hurt smile the most
A great depression but different times
Feeling sour but from different limes
Different obstacles but the same climb
As I talk struggles in the state of rhyme
I think about this state of mine
And everybody’s state of mind
The solutions we fail to find
One would start to think something’s up
Maybe its not the solution but the formula
Too many variables to say there is no way we can make a difference
Or is it just really me
Having mental instability
To realize these indefinite possibilities
Do I see with different eyes
Am I naïve to think we can rise
And cut these ties
Of lies that negative opinion has created
Out of pure hatred, envy, and negativity
Is it really out of our control?
We all want to see change
But we drag our feet and mumble
Or speak in ignorance and arrogance
When we need to be humble.
A downward spiral, this world is beginning to tumble
And dreams are beginning to crumble
As we watch the world burn while sitting under our own shade on a hill
Living in fantasy and refusing to see what’s real
As ideas for better are being hurled
We need to bring them to fruition
If not for you
For the World.

Poem: “Thunderstorm” by Eliza Hawkins
Grade: 2
School: Jackson Christian Elementary

Thunderstorm
Dark clouds in the sky
Flashing lightning
Watering plants
Watching from my window
Boom, boom, crash!

Poem: “My Family is a Garden” by Gemma Cable
Grade: 3
School: Jackson Christian Elementary

My Dad is the gardener helping us along.
My Mom is the watering can helping us all grow.
My older sister is the Tulip putting brightness in the family.
My brother is the vine going everywhere.
My little sister is the poppy bright and happy.
And I am the bluebell quiet and serene.

Poem: “Hope” by Chloe Weston
Grade: 4
School: Townsend Elementary School

She shows her bright personality
With her rainbow clothing
Eyes so bright they shine like stars
When I look into her eyes I see a happy future.
Before I see them
I smell chocolate that is very strong and sweet.
I see her and then
When I look away she is gone.
She comes when she is needed.
Her touch is warm and makes me feel reborn.
She always has a picture of their family.
Light voice that sounds like a beautiful symphony.
She likes to say,
“You will find happiness soon.”

Poem: “No Same Road” by Hunter Miller
Grade: 5
School: Homeschool

Do not take the same road twice,
For there will be a wrong or price.
One time is all you need,
To cross that path twice will live greed.
Small or large, big or small,
No same road will be as tall.
I crossed that road once,
Never saw it again,
For at that time, I was ten.
That road was deep and went on forever,
So this was my choice altogether.

Poem: “Wild Violets” by Aria McGinty
Grade: 11
School: Pioneers Homeschool Co-Op

Dusky cloud of purple wonder,
Belonging to silver and starlight,
Delicate petals of shimmering silk,
The gentle gems of night.

Sparkling blue or starry white,
The latter a beautiful thing,
With purple streaks in its frosty heart,
The color of an angel’s wing.

A moonlit glen flecked with violets,
Is a nocturnal fairy’s delight.
Among them who knows what doings go on,
In the hours of the night?

The shade reminds them of the twilight,
So they stay there during the day,
But are you perfectly certain, my friend,
They don’t dance the night away?

A harmony of unheeded blossoms,
The wood sprite’s amethyst,
Few people pay the credit due,
To what Springtime has lovingly kissed.

The violet is of exquisite beauty,
Is limpid, yet wistful too,
Always remember and always love,
This flower of mystical blue.

Poem: “Last Summer” by Ruby Weed
Grade: 9
School: Penn Foster

We liked to soak in cool water
Lying in the sun
We had many conversations
Talking one on one

There we sat in the dark
Staying out till ten
Knowing that when we woke
We’d rush outside again

I saw you ev’ry Friday
For one summer season
Why that changed in the fall
I don’t know the reason

So I wait for you every day
To remember me
I’ll always know that last summer
My best friend was Karlee

Poem: “Flowers” by Parker Fancher
Grade: 10
School: Pioneers Homeschool Co-Op

Flowers that bloomed this morning
Will wither before the end of the day
In a constant cycle
All things occur this way
What once was vibrant as the dawn
Was one second there and the next moment gone
Slowly the petals have to fall
Marking the end of a beauty no one will recall
But in the last moments
As time stakes its claim
Flowers give something
So we remember their name
They give a seed innocent and pure
Unaware of the hardship they may endure
And slowly time creeps away
Taking with it flowers we want to stay.
But don’t be sad,
Don’t mourn my dear for this system was created by a heavenly engineer
Who plants the seeds when the time is right
Protecting them even on the coldest night
Until they bloom before having to leave.
The gardener collects the next set of seeds.

Poem: “Honey” by Hannah Dodds
Grade: Kindergarten
School: Homeschool

Honey is yummy,
Honey is tasty,
Honey has bees.

Poem: “My Family is a Book” by Macy Velker
Grade: 4
School: Jackson Christian Elementary

My mom is the cover
She protects us from harm
My Dad is the spine
He keeps us together
My sister is the pages
Because she likes to be
Together with her twin
Who is the pictures
Because she’s artistic and colorful.
And I am the words
Sad or happy, full of
Stories.

Poem: “Cheesy Day” by Onyx Ramirez
Grade: Kindergarten
School: Homeschool

I woke up one morning
The sun looks like cheese gleaming in the sky
Man, I’m going to cry

Fall leaves on the trees look like cheese
Oh geez

Yellow cars from afar
Look like cheese to me

Poem: “The Poem I Can’t Get Down” by McKenna Tingley
Grade: 4
School: Townsend Elementary School

I’m trying to write a poem,
I can’t get it written down.
I can brainstorm but,
The words, they are running around.

Poem: “Waves and Slaves” by April Ramirez
Grade: 4
School: Homeschool

The wind whipped the waves
Like rope on a slave
My heart sinks for them
Like an anchor dropping from a ship again

Eyes so blue like the ocean true

Sand so hot
Cliff so steep
Waves so strong
Ocean so deep

Try not to show fear
Ocean so dear, ocean dear
Run away, run away…
Like a slave

Poem: “The Library” by Anaaya Joshi
Grade: 1
Paragon Charter Academy

I love going to the library,
It’s so much fun
I pick the scavenger hunt,
and run.
I find all pictures,
To get the prize.
Oh my God they have so many
prize to my surprise.
After finishing the scavenger hunt,
I colour sitting on a chair,
then I read many books I swear.
If you’ll ask my favorite place,
it’s library not beach, park, or space.
I can’t wait to go library again,
it’s a treat to my brain.

Poem: “I’m Just Another Middle Schooler” by Olivia Bowsher
Grade: 6
School: Northwest Kidder Middle School

Some kids make me sad
They also make me mad.
They make me feel like I’m stuck in a cage
I wish I were a different age.
Then I wouldn’t be sad about the names
I won’t feel like I’m tied up in chains.
At the end of the day
There was no reason for me to stay.
I wish I were cooler
I’m just another middle schooler.

If I were to change anything about me
I guess it’d be my personality.
Sometimes I fake my smile
I have done this for a while.
One thing I could say about myself I guess
Is that I’m under a lot of stress.
I wish I wasn’t such a loser
I’m just another middle schooler.

I wish all the rumors would end
Because no one wants to be my friend.
It leaves me a little confused
That when someone messes with me, they feel amused.
I wish I had good humor
I’m just another middle schooler.

Sometimes school gets boring
It sometimes leaves me snoring.
I wish I had good humor, I wasn’t such a loser, and that I was cooler
I’m just another middle schooler.