First Day, Autobiographies!

On Monday, the new Poetry Campers arrived full of words to share! We started out learning names and playing a few games, and then we listened to a couple of poems about how we used to be versus how we are today. We wrote group poems using the phrases I used to be... but now... and the poems are posted on the wall in 106! After a quick break, we chose our group name, and the students decided to combine two animal names, the Platypus and the Monkey; herein, please feel free to refer to us as the PLATYKEYS! :)

For the last part of our first day, we looked at excerpts from a classic Lawrence Ferlinghetti poem called Autobiography. I asked the students to take a stab at introducing themselves to their readers through their own autobiographies, and their takes on themselves are lovely. Please enjoy below!

Untitled (autobiography poem)

by Maple C.

I live in a small sturdy house in southern Evanston in Illinois. I sit in the library, a huge pile of books at my side. I sing sitting in cushioned seats in a big building on Noyes.

I love reading. I make art whenever I can. I sing every Friday during the school year. I am a Girl Scout. I go to Sunday school. I love to do gymnastics and ballet or dance.

I have seen children reciting parts of the bible. I have watched teenagers playing in the street. I see people running along the beach, diving into the water and coming up with balls and Frisbees and then throwing them to friends.

Untitled (autobiography poem)

by Tilda S.

I live in an old house. It is blue and white. I love to eat chocolate. I have gone mini golfing.

About Myself

by Cecilia G.

I am Cecilia. I live in Illinois. I like to

lay in beds when I think.

I have seen cars going by when I sit in my

neighbor’s tree.

I heard the rumbling of rocks in the alley.

I have a special friend. Her name is Win.

She lives far away.

Untitled (autobiography poem)

by Tessa F.

I am waking up and my

bunny pushes out his

arms and stretches.

I sit up on my bed and turn on the light.

I pick up a book and read.

When I get to the next

chapter I slide off

my bed and crawl to

my bunny’s cage and

reach for the

bars; plop my

book

hits

the

floor.

I make my bed and get dressed and go to

school.

It has been 7 hours and I get home.

I open my bunny’s cage and he leaps

out onto my lap.

We go on my bed and snuggle up together.

Ronni’s Autobiography

by Ronni L.

I am seven years old. My name is VERONICA C. L. I have been to the zoo with my whole class. We saw a warthog, and why, we even saw a cougar! I love running around with my uncle’s dog. My uncle’s dog is a miniature schnoodle. Once, I scraped my knee all the way open. And I was only three years old! I haven’s scraped my life yet, but I love my life so far. And bye-bye but… BOO!

A Life of a Girl

by Zinnia S.

I am a girl at the age of

nine with a flowing imagination. I

like reading, it exercises my

brain. I fall, drifting in a dream of

ice cream. I crave for pickles that

are sour. I once went to

Mexico and saw the sunset on

the beach. I’ve had a heart

filling milkshake in Mexico.

I do a dance called ballet,

it stretches me and my mind. A

waterfall forming my life with

beauty. I stand on earth

as

one.

The Morning

by Caelen B.

On a summer morning

I always wake up with

the sun bursting out

of the clouds, and

the big bright eyes

of my stuffed animals.

I wipe my eyes, it is time

to start the day! I take

a bowl of marshmallow oaties

then I go to work. I

take a pen and paper and

sketch some squiggles and then a circle.

I stop. And remember

I have seen the baby

gorilla nursing from its

mother. I have seen the

Mexico sunset. I have

seen the bright blue lake.

I never thought of it

that way. I have seen so much!

I have seen the lion

roar. I have seen the

black bear eating berries.

I have seen the scraped

knees of my younger sibling.

I can’t believe I have

heard so much! I have

heard poems, stories, fairy

tales, all sorts of stuff!

It’s amazing!!

My Life as a Writer

by Madeline D.

I am always sitting in my thinking place with my notebook and lucky pencil, thinking and writing plays. I have experienced lots of situations that I write in my plays. Then my sister Molly was born. My life changed a lot. When she could talk, I told her I need to concentrate. When my dog, Sisco, passed away, things changed even more. I didn’t have any dogs to sleep in bed with me at my toes for two weeks. My life seemed so gloomy in those two weeks. When my mother told me we were going to the shelter, I felt a little better, but not much. When the time came, we found the perfect dog. She was a little Rotweiller puppy. She was six pounds. When she came home with us, I started to write plays again and everything felt possible.

Untitled (autobiography poem)

by Nicholas M.

I am Nicholas. I have 7 ½ years. I like puppies. I have a boxer. I went to the Air and Space Museum. There were bubble heads upstairs, and my mom bought one. One day I saw a dinosaur fossil. One day, I went to Best Buy and I bought a PSP. I like the fame called Dexter. I go outside to play with my puppy.