Art á Loan

Poem: “Hugger Bug” by Raina Jacobson
School: Hanover-Horton Elementary
Grade: 5

There was a bug who liked to hug.
He hugged a rug and a red mug.
The hugger bug had a dog
And the dog had a pink frog but the pink frog
didn’t like to hug the hugger bug.

Poem: “Mr. Fishy” by James Prince
School: Paragon Charter Academy
Grade: 5

He was the best fishy in the world
He was so bright
He was so light
And he always wanted to take a flight
But when he did take that flight he fell
Then he was squashed
Then he was smushed
Then he was mushed
And he always remembered
RIP Mr. Fishy He was a goldfish that fell on the floor and stepped on. He was the edible goldfish though.

Poem: “Pink” by Melanie Wells
School: Hanover-Horton High School
Grade: 10

In spite of all of the colors,
Instead of all of the hues
Despite all of the others, you’re the one I choose.
Past all of the reds, past all of the blues
Among the bright colors most wouldn’t choose.
About you pink, I don’t understand
Inside of my room, you can tell I’m a big fan.
Against my walls and on my clothes,
Up my curtains, why? Nobody knows.
Behind my door, you shine bright
During my dreams, I think of you in the night.
Since I’ve grown, you’re still the color I choose
Beyond my eyes, you’re the thought I can never lose.
Beside my mirror, there you lay
In my heart on the brightest of days.
Against my cheeks, you brighten up
In my brain, you’re as cute as a pup.
Of all of the colors,
Across the giant rainbow, in the sky
Upon my mind, pink, you’re my favorite, I cannot lie.

Poem: “I Miss You” by Isabella Frey
School: Michigan Center Jr/Sr High School
Grade: 10

Sometimes when I think of you I feel nothing
Other times, when I’m dreary from the day
I think of you and feel it in the depths of my stomach
A feeling just like i’ve lost you all over again
It’s been so long, yet I feel this often
It hurts dearly
To see you living so happily
Without me
You are my home
And I am homesick
For I have not been home in many many weeks
Somewhere in your heart and in your deep blue eyes
You must know I still miss you
I will always
If I could look into your eyes one last time
I would gaze all of the love I have for you into them
Maybe then you’d understand
My thoughts, my pain
You’d understand how my heart aches to hear your voice
The way my salty tears run down my face and trail down to my lips
All because I miss you
I miss you

Poem: “Day Dream” by Molly Hunt
School: Townsend
Grade: 4

Kind and hopeful, his skin tone is like a sunset.
Always there when the sun sets and rises.
I know him in and out.
He’s so loyal that he will do anything for you.
And if you look into his deep eyes you will see a whole fantasy.
During the day he has fun all the time and is never bored.
Wears light clothes and soft orange sneakers.
Hangs out by the beach sitting on the dock.
His voice, so sweet, is sweeter than candy.
Loves bedtime because that’s when
His fantasy becomes real.

Poem: “The Beauty of Life” by Christie Ricketts
School: Northwest Kidder Middle School
Grade: 7

Sometimes I feel like the universe wants me to fail.
like I was made for failure,
like I was made to not succeed.
But after a while I realized
that’s not the case at all.
I like to look at life the way I look at stars,
the darkest nights bring out the brightest stars
just like how when you are at your worst,
rock bottom is your breakthrough moment.
But at the end of the day
All you’re really looking at is how beautiful the stars are.
Life is a blessing.
and yeah, you have times when you question
Is it even worth it all?
All the pain,
All the pressure,
Just look at it this way:
for every time you cry,
There’s an even bigger smile waiting.
for every time there’s pain,
there’s a recovery waiting that will make you stronger.
That’s just the beauty of life.

Poem: “I Am” by Kenney Wagner
School: Hanover-Horton High School
Grade: 12

I am kind and athletic.
I wonder about the future.
I hear the crowd.
I see a basketball hoop.
I want to be the best.
I am kind and athletic.

I pretend I am pro.
I feel the boat hit the waves.
I touch a basketball.
I worry about what’s gonna happen next.
I cry about my old dog.
I am kind and athletic.

I understand my family loves me.
I say hard work pays off.
I dream about sports.
I try in school.
I hope I become a pro.
I am kind and athletic.

Poem: “Hills and Meadows” by Isabella Hurst
School: Queen of Miraculous Medal
Grade: 2

Listening to the small birds tweet,
the smell of colorful flowers so sweet.
A soft picnic blanket is where I eat,
sandwiches and apples are a tasty treat.
Fresh breeze blowing in my hair,
trees with orange leaves everywhere.
Tag with friends, we like to play,
blue skies, puffy clouds, beautiful day.
Rolling down the hill is fun,
my cheeks are warm from the sun.
Tall grass in the meadow, buzzing bees,
I love to hear the rustling leaves.
My friends and I, we need to run,
but we are happy to see the shining sun.

Poem: “Clyde” by Trenton Willis
School: Parma Elementary
Grade: 3

I have a new favorite pet,
He is cute and slimy and a little wet,
Short and squatty and not too long,
Clyde is a Pac-man frog.

Poem: “Joy” by Gwen Kneifer
School: Jackson Christian Elementary
Grade: 3

There are many kinds of Joy
Building a snowman Joy
Covid 19 going away Joy
Playing with toys Joy
Cat had kittens Joy
Growing lots of flowers Joy
Sledding every day Joy
There are many kinds of Joy

Poem: “Mask” by Lauren Jones
School: Jackson Christian Elementary
Grade: 5

I am a mask
You know me for covering you face
My mother is a health inspector
My father is a box of cleaning wipes
I was born in a factory
I live in a box waiting to be bought
My best friend is a washing machine
Because it cleans me up when I’m dirty
My enemy is bad breath
Because I will be forced to smell it
all day long
I fear the end of Covid
Because I will get thrown away
I love frontline workers
Because they are always using me
all the time
I dream of getting bought
And getting put on someone’s face
to keep me toasty warm

Poem: “Writing” by Evaine Wentzloff
School: Queen of the Miraculous Medal
Grade: 6

Hand flying across the page
trying to write down ideas
Hearing the quick scratches of a pencil writing in print
Feeling the firm wood of a pencil as hard as the bond of friendship
or the smooth rubber of a pen as smooth as a lake rock
Inhaling a whiff of fresh notebook paper
Eyes darting back and forth across the page,
reading the words I have written down
The words of a story swirling in my head
The continuous itching to write
Feeling as if
my characters are real
Feeling as if
someone is telling me their life and I am just writing it down
Twists and turns
Cliff hangers and endings
Combining together
to create one big creation
Clutching my notebook tight
holding my dear treasure near
Eraser shavings on my pants
Dull pencils lay on the floor
The trash can filled with crumpled up pieces of paper
My head full of ideas

Poem: “To Walk a Day in Someone Else’s Shoes” by Melaina Magnusson
School: Western Middle School
Grade: 8

All my life
I’ve been told
To walk a day
In someone else’s
Shoes.
What about
the people
Without shoes?
Those people
Who walk with
Their bare feet
Covered in dust,
Whose toes are numb
Every winter night,
And burned on the
Summer’s pavement?
Those calloused
Feet
With pebbles
Implanted
In skin,
Because of hours
Of
Walking
On gravel.

What about
The people
Who leave
Their shoes
At the door
Of their
Holy place?
Their synagogue.
Their Mosque.
Their Church.

Those who
Experience
Life changing
Moments
Extraordinary
Or
Traumatizing
With their
Bare feet,
Black,
Brown,
White,
Or any shade
In between,
Softly padding
On the ground.

How will we ever
Understand
These people,
Our sisters and brothers,
Our fathers and mothers,
If we only
Walk a day
In their shoes?
Instead,
We should try to
Walk
A day
In their heart,
Their soul,
Their mind,
And maybe then
Someday
We will all
Accept each other
For who we used to be,
Who we are,
And who we will be
In the future.

Poem: “One Last Leopard” by April Ramirez
School: Homeschool
Grade: 3

I saw something spotted in the forest
then I saw two sparkled and marbled, glowing eyes peering into a magic world that no
one knows
Where did the magic go in our world?
Snow falls silently on the ground like the silent footsteps of a leopard
one last leopard is in the world and I saw water gather up in the golden eyes
looking out of a different tree now

Poem: “The Northern Lights” by Leah Gernand
School: Jackson Christian Elementary
Grade: 3

The Northern Lights
pretty and
colorful,
attracting and swaying,
lovely,
Aurora Borealis.

Poem: “Beauty of the Night” by Lacee Girardin
School: Concord High School
Grade: 11

I glance to the tiny clock on top my wrist, It says about six.
I look outside to see a rising moon. When on the other side of the
sky the sun sets like a deflated balloon.
The colors in the sky make a stunning sight. with orange, a pale
pink, and a yellow so bright.
The shimmering beams of light shine through my window, almost
making me blind.
The breath taking day sky could turn a blinds man eye.
As the blistering sun continues its way down, shadows appear
behind the buildings of our town.
The suns bright setting light, fades away into the glistening night.
Behind the hills and the trees, the sun begins its slumbering sleep.
Its not just the sky that tells us its night, when the outside becomes
dour, here come the street lights.
They light up the streets, where the black cat walks, if you look
closely enough you can see it creep around the blocks.
Small yellow lights blink and blink, while the black cat’s claws clink
and clink on the concrete.

Poem: “The Text (Alphabet Poem)” by Morgan Meyerhofer
School: Lumen Christi
Grade: 8

A moment of silence before a notification occurs
B uzz
C razy how one little message can change my whole mood
D o I dare to look
E ver so slowly I reach my hand towards my phone just to pull it away
F earfully wondering if it could be a text from him.
G iving my mind the time to overthink and wonder about the text.
H aving hours go by before I get the courage to open it.
I start to reach for my phone
J ust as my mind begins to relax, I see it was a text from him
K inda crazy how my heart skips a beat
L etting myself melt away at the sight of his text
M y heart is so full even though I don’t know what the text says
N ow I’ve given my mind enough time to calm down
O pening the text is what I should do
P utting all my worries and thought away just to open it
Q easy feelings start to form as I open the text
R eading it as soon as I can
S ometimes a simple text can mean so much
T aking the time to read the text over and over
U nconditionally I start to smile
V ery few things make me smile like his texts do
W hen I go to respond I wonder if he feels the same
X tra thoughts go into my text back
Y ou don’t realize how much a person affects you
Z ooming my phone away after responding, waiting for a text back

Poem: “The Storm” by Madisyn O’Neal
School: Lumen Christi
Grade: 7

When hauled by wind
Pounded by rain
of vanquish
Running through
the interdicted greenwood
Being chased by
the dark clouds of prostrate
Coming upon the mirror
Brisk, tender fog awakens
Rushing into the mind
Slashing self-assuredness
into an execrable sleep
the thoughts…
the reaction…
the outcome.
She’d become a wilting flower
Thirsty for water passionate
Passionate for sun
but fog always fades
Colors always nerve
the dark away
Soon the glory of the sun
Ablaze
the thunders of a cloud
always retreat
After the tempest
There’s always a rainbow
Under a rainbow stands
a creation…
a rarity…
shining…
the true pot of gold,
Me

Poem: “A walk at night on a snow day” by Qianyu Zhang
School: Western Middle School
Grade: 8

Tips of tree branches dipped in milk,
The world covered in a blanket of white silk.
Shuffling of coats echoed in the dark,
Snow piled on the edges of the park
Each step was a loud crunch,
While catching snowflakes on my tongue.
The frozen swamp appeared in the distance
Climbed upon the ice, legs shivered in resistance
Watching my breath vaporize on this damp and quiet night.

Poem: “The Song of My Life” by Marissa Benn
School: Napoleon High School
Grade: 10

The early morning silence on a cold winter day is like a breath of fresh air to my soul.
I love the peace and serenity that come with being in nature alone.
It gives life a meaning bigger than me or you,
It shows that there is more to us than we presume.
It provides a glimpse of this gift God has given us,
To live another day in this beautiful world He made for us.

Life has a melody of friends laughing together,
The lyrics are that of a loved one speaking,
Altogether it creates a harmony unlike any other,
One that gets played over and over as a memory.

Poem: “I have a dream too” by Summer Barnaby
School: Hanover-Horton High School
Grade: 10

I have a dream that one day our nation will pick up the broken pieces
I have a dream that one day we will take our masks off
I have a dream that we will be able to have high school experiences
I have a dream that I will get into a good college
I have a dream today
I have a dream that one day online will come to an end
I have a dream today
I have a dream that one day it won’t be busy work
But learning something new
This is my hope and dream that one day
we will go back to the old but new normal
This will be the day when the country comes together
And beat this pandemic

Poem: “Keep Going” by Ryli Hammond
School: Northwest Kidder Middle School
Grade: 7

Have you ever heard of perseverance
Perseverance is like a rocket ship
You can’t just let it go by itself
You have to guide it to get it to keep going
Perseverance is determining to keep going
To face the setbacks and challenges
So Keep Going Strong
We will fight for it
We will not give up
We will reach our goal
And nothing will stop us
So let us leave behind a country
Better than the one we were left with
Let the world be your motivation
To keep on going
Let the people push you
To reach your goals
Not only so, but we also have glory in our surroundings
Because we know within that produces
Perseverance
Perseverance makes character, character makes hope possible
So let our world have more perseverance in it

Poem: “Colors” by Breanna Manchester
School: Homeschool
Grade: 4

Colors are bright and dark,
Colors could be just a purple mark,
Colors could be in a spinning wheel,
Colors could be Blue-green or Teal,
All colors come from three,
Red, Blue, and yellow, they fit in
HARMONY.

Poem: “Messengers” by Annika Van Fleet
School: Hanover-Horton High School
Grade: 8
Context: I usually fold tiny paper airplanes out of sticky notes when I’m bored in class, and sometimes I write messages on them to send to friends. So, this poem is about sending my little messengers to a friend of mine who lives many miles away.

My little birdies, go flap your wings
As you are not attached to strings
To find a friend,
a foe, a lover,
Glide from one end
To another
Flow down the Passage
Where Time resides
And open yourself
To find a message inside
Sometimes pictures,
Sometimes blank,
A word or two,
Or filled with ink
To stone and mountain
To river and tree,
Your little wings fly back to me
Over the flowers,
Grass, bugs, and dew,
My little wings
Fly back to you
When the wind is howling
Or the water is still
I wait for you by the window sill
I’ll travel worlds, planets,
galaxies and miles
Just to send you a paper smile.

Poem: “They say, I say” by Emily DeGrie
School: Hanover-Horton High School
Grade: 11

They say, I say
They say I am weak-willed.
I say
I am confident and able.

They say I’m not strong,
I say
I know how to prove them wrong.
So
Don’t judge me by my favorite song.
They say I am weak-willed
I say
I am confident and able.

They say I’m not
Going to make it far
I say
Stop stealing the light of my star.
Instead
I’m gonna to show them I can go far
To achieve my hopes and dreams.

Poem: “I am a girl who hides how I feel” by Hayley Gardner
School: Northwest Kidder Middle School
Grade: 7

I am a girl who hides how i feel
I wonder if i open up will they judge me
I hear my heart wailing when i say i’m good but i’m really dying inside
I see myself falling apart and breaking down slowly
I want to laugh and smile and not have to fake it
I am a girl who hides how i feel
I pretend everything is fine, that i’m okay, that i don’t need help
I feel the gazes of others on the back of my head
I touch the wet cold grass beneath my feet
I worry i will disappoint and never be good enough
I cry when i know i need help but i’m too scared to ask for it
I am a girl who hides how i feel
I understand for people to help you can’t hide
I say you have to talk about it to get better
I dream everyone has someone they can be themselves around
and not have to fake it
I try to talk, i try to get help but i never do
I hope that one day we all will be happy with no worries
I am a girl who hides how i feel