Student Writings
A MIDDLE SCHOOL NARRATIVE POEM ENTITLED: "The Pinecone War"
The Pinecone War
It was an ordinary day
To the park we should go
And we did so
We swung so high
We touched the sky
We laughed and played
It was a wonderful day
And then something was thrown
It was a pinecone
And because of that one
The pinecone war had begun
We threw pinecones left and right
We would not give up on this fight
We dodged and ducked
Some had no luck
Then two were left
Who was the best
We thought the pinecone war was done
But the game ended and no one won
We had our fun and I was sure
No one would forget the pinecone war.
A MIDDLE SCHOOL NARRATIVE POEM ENTITLED: "Stitches"
'Twas On the second day of camp
The sky was blue; the ground was damp.
We knew that we were going to hike.
And we were not taking a bike.
We eagerly waited in the van.
The trees were so thick we didn’t tan.
It didn’t take us very long.
For the path which we took wasn’t wrong.
Till we got to the spot were we'd eat lunch.
The chips we ate had lots of crunch.
Off we went to find the cascade.
On this beautiful day we walked and played.
We took turns sliding down the watery rock.
Once I was standing there at the top.
I slid down and landed with a splash.
I tried to walk back up when ---- CRASH!
My foot had slipped; my face hit hard.
From the fall my face was marred.
I finally reached my friends who said,
"Your face is bleeding--it's very red."
While they kept sliding I sat there and bled,
But I was thankful I wasn’t dead.
A NARRATIVE POEM BY A MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT ENTITLED "Fishing" When we went fishin’ it was a mission to put fish in our fridge. We had to cross a bridge. First we caught a crappie And it was kind of hoppy! Then another and another, But this was without my brother. For though he was with my mother, I felt the presence of my brother. We caught three bass, and two were striped. we swiped them out and then we wiped them out until they were so tired They wished that we had gotten fired. We threw them back and didn’t whack the fish we didn’t want or put in a sack. On that day we caught some fish in the bay Two bream we didn’t trim or even say A thing about to any of our friends Nor did we package them up to send. We also caught a tricky catfish, Thankful it was not a batfish! It was very hard to catch; Continually it tried to dash! The only fish we kept where crappie; At last they no longer were hoppy.
A PERSONIFICATION PARAGRAPH FROM A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT ENTITLED "Revenge" Revenge is at our doorstep begging us to let him in, and everyone can hear the sound of his knocking on our door. He tells us he is innocent and will only give us joy. As everyone can hear his voice, feel his presence, see his face, we must ignore his deceptive lies. For we think he is fulfilling, an innocent way to restore what our enemies took. Yet once we let him in, the peace that we thought we would feel is only a mask worn by the evil truth. Revenge is only evil, only destroys, and can never rebuild. Once we realize our devastating error, we frantically try to undo what we have done; it is too late. Revenge's mask rests on the floor as he's tearing down our walls. Our house is all in ruin, and it is caving in to rubble. The stranger at our doorstep has now destroyed our whole lives. As we feel helpless and do not know how to save what little we have left, we realize that the peace we wanted from revenge is only found in God.
A PERSONIFICATION PARAGRAPH FROM A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT ENTITLED "Time" What overthrows kings and destroys empires? What takes a toll on humans, animals, and structures? Time--it's always moving, never stopping, ever changing. Time--it controls what we do and where we go. It determines when we get up and when we go to sleep. Time keeps things on schedule: parties, sporting events, concerts, schooling, and jobs. It dominates what we achieve and accomplish. Time also strengthens. It builds our relationships with others and God. It can strengthen armies, empires, and kings. Time consumes. We live in it; we breathe in it. It is our past, present, and future. We record events by when they happened in Time. Time perseveres. It never stops. It always pushes forward to the future. It never gives up. Every second, hour, day, month, year, and century, time presses on. Time destroys empires, constantly takes a toll on all things, strengthens, controls, and perseveres. Time always moves, never quits, always changes, never stops. This is time.
A CHRISTMAS POEM FROM A MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT Come and behold Him Here on this night Right here in a manger In the star's holy light Shepherds come worship The kings shout their praise Mary and Joseph smile At the King in the hay So humble yet beautiful on this Christmas day. A CAUSE/EFFECT ESSAY FROM A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT ENTITLED "Bob Dylan's Voice": The belief that a good artist must also have a great voice was shattered in the 1960's, when a little-known folk artist gained international fame. Many people complained about Bob Dylan's heavy, raspy voice. Without a doubt, the way they listened to his music would have been completely different if he were able to sing classically well. However, a change in his voice may have affected his music negatively and even thwarted his path to success. For centuries many great songwriters were bound to a career of professional songwriting for other singers, if their unique voices were not quite accepted by the public. However, beginning in the late fifties many artists emerged that didn't quite fit the mold of the music industry. These artists gained recognition for their poetic songwriting and powerful lyrics. Their unique voices didn't seem to hurt their success in any way; they seemed to help it. Bob Dylan was one of these artists and helped give "bad singers" an audience. Emerging from the folk scene, Bob Dylan gained popularity through his powerful songs and controversial lyrics. His voice also became one of the most recognizable of the artists at that time. Dylan's voice was unlike many popular singers, and even he admitted that he couldn't sing. However, his voice did have something that kept fans listening: character. His voice deepened the meaning behind his lyrics and allowed people to feel his emotion. His folk music background influenced his songs with honesty without straying far from his poetic writing. Many of his songs expressed his anti-war beliefs, creating a movement that revolutionized the music industry as well as American culture. Bob Dylan's voice is one of the defining aspects of his career and, without a doubt, a change in his voice would affect it drastically. The question arises of whether this change would be positive or negative. Many people who are not fans of Bob Dylan's music say that if he were able to sing better, they might have even enjoyed his music; but fans argue that without his voice, his music would change for the worse. They believe that his voice is such a major part of his music that if he were to have a different voice, he would not be the icon that he is today. Anyone watching other artists sing songs written by Bob Dylan is bound to notice these differences. In fact, when other singers sing Dylan's music, it becomes nearly unrecognizable. Whatever Bob Dylan seemed to do must have worked. With a career spanning over five decades, it is obvious that the combination of his voice and his poetic songs shaped an individual that changed the course of the music industry. Without him and the other unique singers of the sixties, many of the artists popular today might not even have had a chance. Throughout all the controversy surrounding his voice, fans and critics alike believe that without his voice, the outcome of his career would have been different. Many think that without it, he never would have made the impact that he did.
