Body Part Poems

In her poem, "Anatomy Lesson #2: The Palpation of Bony Landmarks," Katrina Vandenberg urges readers to see beyond the surface of things, beyond the cold and confusing language of science, using "the art of finding" to explore deeper issues of love, compassion and understanding. The poem's anatomical jargon was discussed, and students were asked to consider an under-appreciated body part in poems of their own.

Ms. Barreda, 8^th Grade

Untitled (Body Part Poem)

Angel G.

Eyes are like a camera,

every time you blink it's like taking a picture,

every time that happens it's like a reminder of

something, when you want to look at something

your eyes help you keep the image in mind.

Little Chubby Pinkie

Mayra H.

It's smaller

and fatter

and cuter than anyone else's.

It's like a little sausage

that's so adorable and small.

People might say

ah it's the last finger and it's always left out.

Well not in my case.

Everyone loves it

like a little fat kid

likes pie.

One person that I know

loves my pinkie

is Jorge L., and that's alright.

He's always making fun of the fact

that my pinkie

is fat.

Compare it to anyone else's

pinkie, mine is left

out, so it just curves in my hand

like a little dog in the rain and pouts.

Just because

it's my little chubby pinkie.

A Day as the Real Me

Stephanie P.

Today I wake up and look in

the mirror: I'm not me, I only

see the inside of me, the bones

that hold me up. Today I walk

on the streets, everyone sees me

who I am.

Weird but cool, I see what I'm

made of. I see my arms, the way

my fingers look, my legs, then I

look more deep: I see my heart,

it's as red as an apple, it's as big

as it too or even bigger.

Then I look at my ribs, wow,

so cool, that's what keeps my

upper body and lower body together.

I look one more time in the

mirror. Thanks to all this I have

I'm up and can keep on walking.

I wake up today. I'm me with

skin. I go to school, start writing

and thank my fingers and legs

that keep me going.

Mustache

Marco Q.

I am small, and downy.

I am barely growing.

But I will soon be full.

All of me is like a baby's skin,

smooth and soft.

But I will be rough and tough soon.

Until then I will grow.

Then there will be a day when I am no more.

But I will come again.

Mrs. Turk, 7^th Grade

Untitled (Body Part Poem)

Oscar P.

The brain is a very complex

concept to learn, keeping memory stored

like a flash drive or memory stick.

Looking back at the best moments like

a DVD player. Keeping track

of work like an agenda.

Looking back and reading like

a book.

The brain is our hard drive,

a CPU. Without it I don't

know what I would do.

The brain helps us think,

helps us learn, keeping data

like a computer.

The Face

David R.

The face is an exciting part of the

body. It's like glue. It has two eyes, to

see, a mouth, to talk, a nose, to smell

and two ears so you can listen. It is

also a part that you have to protect when

you're in a match because if you don't

you won't look the same. You'll have two

purple eyes, one bloody nose and mouth and

when you're finished with the match you

get up and are stumbling to the ground

so the match is over and you have lost

not only the fight but

the shape of your face.

Everlasting Beat

Jodi R.

Drumming drumming

I feel so calm

I can feel the tempo

Slow but steady

Then I get nervous

My heart gets louder

The tempo gets faster

Beating so fast

Can't believe

It goes so fast like a roaring car

Then my heart

Slows back down

It's so slow a turtle

Can win in a race with my heart

I start to sleep

Then I hear my last beat

They try to wake me up

But it's no use

My heart is dead

I'm gone

I'm sucked from the world

My heart gone

I'm gone

My body is gone

I keep hearing my last

Beat

Nonstopping

Kept playing like

a broken record machine

beat, beat, beat

beat . . . .

It's an everlasting

beat . . .

Ms. Touras, 6^th Grade

Fingerprint

Ruben D.

The fingerprint is like a rope with

different patterns on it. And when you move it

it's like moving the rope. And your

fingerprint is a land to you but you

don't know what's happening right at this

minute. It could be peace there or an evil

war there. That way I like and feel

like an old old man. When I take a shower

and when I get out I become an old

man.

The Brain

Rafael J.

I wonder what happens in

there if there is a party? When

I get scared that happens? When

I have fun does my brain get

upset or does it get angry? When I am

sad does it have fun? I wonder?

When I think about what I am

going to be when I grow

up does my brain get annoyed?

When I just think does my

brain send messages? When I

talk does my brain tell me

what to say? I will never

know what my brain does.

Bye-Bye

Cody T.

Sitting over a bucket as if to vomit

Nothing

Go to the doctor

Emergency

I feel like I'm old

I'm in a wheelchair

Lots of pain

Hard to breathe

Getting poked in the gut

By many doctors

Got a CAT scan

Thought a cat would scan

Drug injection

Feeling tired

On the 9^th floor

For two weeks

One night

Constant vomiting

The stomach acid

That's inside of me

Go to school

No stairs or heavy objects

Now I'm back to life