Poets at Gatewood School open their hearts to the changing season.
Photos contributed by Gatewood 5th graders.
This wonderful student opportunity was funded by the Gatewood PTO.
Rob Evers
The maple
A fallen friend.
Decaying slowly
Tree huggers crying
Rest In Peace
Emma Robinson
I smell the crisp autumn air
Hear the sweet chirps of the chickadees
The daylily pod rattles in the wind
The leaves crunch underfoot
The baby blue sky washes the clouds away
The sun is biting at my cheeks
Conor Brace
Leaves
leaves are masters of disguise
as the seasons get colder
they change their cloaks green to yellow yellow to orange orange to red
then down they go using themselves as parachutes gliding
d
o
w
n
to the cold snowy ground
Cecilia Ritenour
i am the mist only coming when it rains
i am the beautiful leaves on the ground
i am the bur oak tree standing strong
i am the maple snag, there all alone
i am the red oak/ Lucky’s tree
i am the cottonwood looking above the others
i am the mouse in the bird house
i am the tall wet grass
Makenna Harris
I see a maple tree with a long shadow and bright spots of sunlight.
I smell nature’s fresh air
I feel the cold grass against my cheek
I hear leaves on a cottonwood tree crinkling and singing in the wind.
I touch the pine needles
Pointy like a porcupine and sticky like glue
I feel like a baby bird ready to spread my wings and fly.
Zadyn Kallio
Red star
Fallen from the heavens
Going back to Mother Earth
Nebat Mohammed
Flapping wings
Fly to Mexico
Orange
A leaf of life
I wonder if they are real?
Wings and flight
Joyful
Ja’Ana Johnson
I see the blue sky
washing over the clouds
I hear the chickadee calling in the forest
I touch the orange and red maple leaves falling on the ground
I feel the sun warming my skin
I smell Mother Nature growing inside me
Colorful Birds
Beautiful colorful leaves on a small flying tree
like a bright airplane
in the sky
dazzling and joyful
shall always fly high
The bright feather leaves
Justin Irseng
Little frog
Great little frog friend.
Found outside of school.
Resting on a hand.
Lindsay Gaasch
In The Tiny Mist Droplets,
In The Bark Of A Maple Tree,
In The Roots Of A Bur Oak,
In The Fur Of A Field Mouse,
In The Heat Of The Sun,
In My Heart Beauty Lies.
Ramsha Isaaq
Road Kill
Brown, White, Black, and Gray
Look’s like a stuffed eagle in display
It makes me feel sad that it is
Dead
Up hill , down hill, it was alive
But now it is dead before its time
Who ever killed him
Must be ashamed
Cause
Today is the day
I don’t feel okay.
Korbin Rear
My shadow
Pitch black
Waiting there
Hiding from the sun
so fun.
Nebilla Mohammed
Fall is colorful
Animals are migrating
Nature is alive
Tyus Carter
The sun
It’s amazing
light reflected off leaves
Feeling inspired
beautiful
Nora Paavola
Bobcat
I have paws
The size of a baby’s palm
I am as fluffy
As a pillow
I am as fierce
As the wind
Zach Johnston
Blue Phoenix
It’s as blue
as blue fire
and it gives off
the heat of the fire
in the feather
Celeste Moe
Nature
I smell
the sweet smell of crab apple
I hear
the thudding of a woodpecker
pecking on trees
I feel happy
when I see the red leaves of the maple tree
I touch
the bumpy rough surface of the dogwood
I see
A little helicopter spinning in the air as it is falling
Kristina Thompson
Nature’s Kind
The crab apple tree springing from the soil,
The call of a blue jay coming home,
The helicopter that soars through the mystic air,
The dogwood that is not hollow inside
Is a beautiful tree,
The bumble bee getting pollen for the winter,
I feel the a flower sprouting out its beauty.
Marriona Cameron
I see a small brown pillbug
I smell the flowers and they remind me of strawberries
I hear a blubird calling its mate from up high
I feel smooth red and juicy crab apples
I touch a red dogwood branch
it has a rough surface
Bahja Jama
feels fuzzy
lying on the ground
trying to climb something
making its way to life
Sadaq Abullahi
I am somebody
I can’t do as well as others
I can’t write as well as others
I can’t pretend to be somebody
I am somebody
I am tall
I am bilingual
I am kind
I am somebody
I have dark skin
I have brown eyes
I have a bro and a sis
I am somebody
I don’t own pets
I do like pizza
I don’t like being bossed around
I am somebody
I must be the best that i can be
I must be loved
I must be respected, protected, and never rejected
I am somebody
Amber Hysjulien
Smooth, colorful
Creative, special
Soft when wet
Beauty like an egg
Sleep softly little rock.
Lars Seefelt
I see the leaves falling
Cracking in the air
I hear leaves dancing
And singing in the wind
they crunch in my hand
I feel them comfort me
I smell the winter air coming
leaves falling.
These poems touched my heart, Larry. Thank you for sharing.
These poems are wonderful and I love the pictures. What an incredible fall in MN!
Wow! There is a true power in poetry. Reading these awakens new senses and creates a new perspective on some nature ideas I hadn’t seen in that light before! Thank you for teaching kids how to express emotions and nature from their point of view – truly priceless, Larry!
Larry,
These are from the heart and with sensing eyes. Great awakenings my friend.
Mary
It’s always interesting to discover what moves kids to respond when encouraged, especially with images. How great these kids stayed “in the moment” long enough to express themselves thoughtfully, especially with poetry.
Thank you to the school staff and to Larry for their collaboration to provide this opportunity for students. And for sharing the results.
I really liked seeing the range of image and poetry represented here. The students seemed to each have their own way into the subject–that is real creative freedom at work! Cute frog! And I also found the shadow and poem by Sadaq Abullahi particularly moving. The image and the words together enlarged and deepened the meaning of each other. Onward, Larry! You do good work.
Awesome nature poetry!
Those are wonderful poems and pictures. Thanks Celebrate fall….
Larry thanks for this. I will continue looking t it for days & months to come. bb
Wow! These are terrific! It always amazes me what kids can write, even when they think they can’t. Thanks for sharing.
Incredible, Larry!