Scribblings of a Grade-schooler

05 Feb Scribblings of a Grade-schooler

My attempts at writing as a child

I recently found an archive of what appears to be every poem I’ve ever written. Some I will pillage to write new pieces with, others make me cringe. Those included in this post are the innocent, silly, and even shockingly well-done fragments. I wrote these in childhood when I first fell in love with poetry and was still trying to figure out how it worked.

I’d kept a diary up until then and into my later teen years. As a very young child, I had a lot of those cheap diaries with the lock that was held on by a paper loop and easily opened with some scissors. I still always used the key, of course. I so wish I had collected those to look back on as well. Alas, I am grateful for these little whispers from yonder days.

Ice Cream is the first poem I ever wrote. I thought it was amazing at the time.

ICE CREAM | 5TH GRADE
Ice cream, ice cream, what a treat. 
And when you eat it, you'll tap your feet; 
do a spin, turn upside down; put on a smile 
and not a frown. 
Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, too. 
Which special flavor was made for you? 
Ice cream, ice cream: yum, yum, yum. 
I think I'm ready to have some!

Creation was an in-class assignment to write an acrostic poem about Spring. I recall the teacher coming around, checking on us, and asking how I was doing. I had all but the last line completed, and I explained that I was struggling with getting the right words. She looked at me like I was a specimen. Very soon after this, I recall being tested for being gifted. I guess she liked it.

CREATION | 6TH GRADE
Coming out of hibernation 
Returning to a nest 
Ever Green 
And never brown 
Today it does not rest 
In a tree 
Or on a log 
Nature does it best

The rest of these are pure silliness. Some are an obvious attempt at a child’s version of humor, others are clearly trying to put whatever knowledge I’d gathered in my studies to good use.

JACK-O-LANTERN, RIDDLE | 5TH GRADE
My eyes glow with a fiery light 
I like to scare children on Halloween night 
They scoop out my insides and cut up my face. 
They put in a candle and give me a place. 
I blaze through the night for people to see. 
What am I, what on earth could I be?

MISSING LINK | 5TH GRADE
Someday I'll move to Asia 
far away from the mall. 
I'll teach the people in China 
how to build a wall. 
Then I'll move to Europe 
and teach the French to kiss. 
Why do I get the feeling 
there is something I have missed?

PET-TRIFIED | 5TH GRADE
I want a pet and I want it now. 
I don't care when 
and I don't care how. 
I've had a fish. 
I've had a crab. 
I've even named 
my grand pop’s cab. 
So if you don't mind, 
I'll just say: 
I want a pet 
and I'll get my way.

THAT BRAT | 5TH GRADE
I want this, I want that. 
Mom says I'm a spoiled brat. 
I get this, I get that. 
Do you think I'm a spoiled brat?

FOOD CHAIN | 5TH GRADE
Kittens and cats chase 
mice and rats 
and mice and rats 
eat cheese

DIRECTIONS, PLEASE? | 6TH GRADE
What can I do? 
Where can I go? 
I could ask you, 
but how would you know? 
I could go here or 
I could go there; 
but where ever I go 
you wouldn't care.

FRIENDS | 6TH GRADE
Is a friend someone with money to lend? 
Or someone, when sick, for you to tend? 
If a friend is someone special to you, 
then that friend should hold you special, too.

HIS LIFE | 6TH GRADE
I am a lawyer 
and I love my work 
My father's a salesman 
My mother's a clerk 
My sister's a doctor 
My brother's a jerk 
My dog is dead 
My cat loves to lurk 
Well this is my family 
and here is your cue 
Enough about me 
what about you

LIFE | 6TH GRADE
Sunrise, sunset 
Another day gone by. 
Live life to the fullest. 
Run and jump 
and swim and play. 
Another day gone by.
 
POLLUTION | 6TH GRADE
The smell of toxins in the air 
It's really, truly not that fair 
Businesses, companies, industries, too 
They don't care about me and you

VAMPIRE | 6TH GRADE
I prey on the living. 
I sleep with the dead. 
I drink of their blood. 
The river of red.

JESUS, RIDDLE | 7TH GRADE
My birthday is here 
As it comes each year 
On December 25th 
I received gifts from guys 
Who were very wise 
On December 25th 
Who am I?

If you’ve made it this far, you probably really need to know if I got that pet I wanted. Well, as you also likely saw, I was a brat, and so you already know the answer. His name was Taz.

Collection: Behind One Verse

Section: Fragments