About Hands on Stanzas

Hands on Stanzas, the educational outreach program of the Poetry Center of Chicago places professional, teaching Poets in residence at Chicago Public Schools across the city. Poets teach the reading, discussion, and writing of poetry to 3 classes over the course of 20 classroom visits, typically from October through April. Students improve their reading, writing, and public speaking skills, and participating teachers report improved motivation and academic confidence. You can contact Cassie Sparkman, Director of the Hands on Stanzas program, by phone: 312.629.1665 or by email: csparkman(at)poetrycenter.org for more information.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Halloween Poems

Chicago poet Li-Young Lee writes about eerie sounds, unseen phantoms and more in his poem, "Nocturne." After reading it, students were asked to use their imaginations and write Halloween poems, creating their own scary creatures and situations, or simply celebrating the holiday in poetic language.


Ms. Barreda, 8th Grade


A Squeaky Noise

Katherine D.


I went to bed,

To sleep so tight.

Like no one can bother me,

But there's something outside.

What could that be?

I went outside and sneaked in the window,

With my camera and my fluffy pillow.

The noise is somewhere down the porch.

I really want to see what's making that

Noise, but when I went outside,

I heard a common noise.

I push the button on my camera.

I held on tight to my pillow.

And then, I saw it.

It's just a cat playing with its squeaky

Toys.


Halloween

Jessica G.


Halloween is coming. Kids are

running. Halloween is a special

holiday. I'm going to be a

witch and my brother is

going to be a fish.

I go to different houses and

I say, “Trick or treat!” I get

a lot of candy and they say

Goodbye Sandy!”

Halloween is coming, kids are

running. Today is going to be

a special day. I'm going

to eat the candy every day!


Halloween

Ulysses G.


The old man is sleeping

His doorbell is ringing

Kids are yelling and screaming

WE WANT CANDY

There's people scaring

Ghosts and Goblins

Witches and brooms

Going VROOM VROOM VROOM

They soar from door to door

TRICK OR TREAT

Is what they say

Can you guess this

Day?

HALLOWEEN

EVERYONE

SCREAMS


Halloween

Oscar V.


To me Halloween means candy,

people scaring people,

decorating your house,

having a Halloween party,

wearing a scary mask,

and then when I'm done trick-or-treating,

I go home and eat candy,

well at least the ones that my mom approves.


Mrs. Turk, 7th Grade


Trick, No One's Home

Jessica G.


Eggs bombing, toilet paper

swinging across the trees,

no one's home. Eggs splattered

on the grass, toilet paper

looking like spider webs on

the bushes, no one's home.

Water splashing on the window,

balloon skins on their

doorstep. The police come.

No one's home.


Untitled (Halloween Poem)

Emily L.


Woosh the wind goes

The stairs squeaking

Squeak, squeak, squeak

The big spider on its web

Whoooo,” I hear something

Who's there?”

Whoooo,” the soft voice repeats

And all I hear it say

It's Halloween, you're supposed to

Get scared!”

Run........!


Spooky Night

Alma R.


The old windows shake and rustle back and forth

The stronger the wind gets, the louder.

Through the curtains, shadows appear,

Of many shapes and sizes

Being swept away by the wind.


The orange color from the street lights fades

Until everything is dark

White and green figures glow outside

The howling of a mad wolf is heard.


Suddenly, voices are heard

Of people screaming for their lives

Sometimes in between groaning was heard

As if their flesh was replaced with a creepier one


The door closing from the entrance downstairs is heard

You can hear many people stepping on the stairs

The creaking sounds now like an exotic bug chirping

Then...

The knock on the door

You look ahead of yourself, to see the shape,

The shape of your feet covered with the bed sheets

You want to ignore every activity

And focus on yourself.


The knocking becomes scratching and roaring

Then a big thud is heard of the door being knocked downstairs

The only thing that comes out from you is a whimper

Then darkness fills your eyes.


Boo, Trick and Don't Treat

Jasmine S.


Boo as I walk

down the street

I see the Hannahs

the bees and ghosts

we feel great

full with candy

eating on our way home

I hear music as

that party goes

on I wonder if them kids

will ever go home

as I eat my candy with

my friends we stop

in shock when we passed

that house boo he said

as we run don't turn

back run, run, run

don't pick up yo candy

leave it there I guess

we will have to wait

for next year to ever

reach that party


Halloween

Frida T.


When leaves fall

I know right away,

Halloween is getting closer.

People buying candies

children buying costumes

Halloween is the day.

Off we go with our bags and pumpkins

to put our candies inside.

Ding”

Different doors we go

different door bells we push

different people we see

different candies we eat

can't you see this is Halloween?


Halloween

Arriane T.


the wind is blowing

the trees rustle as the wind

pierces through its leaves.


Crunch.Crunch.Crunch.

fallen leaves are being attacked

by monsters of all sorts.

goblins, vampires, skeletons & even princesses!


DingDong.

Up the porches they go,

ringing doorbells asking for

candy yelling “trick or treat!”

and the people inside the

homes quickly give out

the monsters' wanted food.

here's your candy.”


& off they go,

demanding the fellow

people their

candy.


Ms. Touras, 6th Grade


Vampire Monster

Rubyela J.


The vampire has shiny teeth. He

has blood all over his mouth. You

could hear the drops of blood hitting

the floor when they fall off him. He's

really pale. When I walk past him,

I get goose bumps, I feel he's going

to bite me. And there I go walking past

him, and just what I didn't want, it

happened, he bit me!


Untitled (Halloween Poem)

Neisha R.


I hear a noise, who can it be......

I see footprints, what can it be......


It can be a she or a he......

A cat, dog, what is it, who is it!


O(h)M(y)G(od), I'm so scared


I hear a laugh, a meow, and even a bark!


O(h)M(y)G(od), I'm so, so scared!


It's HALLOWEEN, crazy me!


It's a prank, is it?!


Halloween

Juliana V.


I looked in the mirror and

there it was my biggest fear, a werewolf was in

my house. I ran out of my house.

I guess everyone thought I was crazy because they

were laughing at me as I ran and screamed.

I heard growls and witches' laughs,

the moaning of a zombie,

were there monsters attacking our

neighborhood?

I ran home, when I got there

I screamed out, “Run, there's

a werewolf in the house!” Then

as I looked in the mirror and saw

my reflection I see the werewolf

again, my face turns red as I

realize it was me!


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