When I first heard about nature I almost peed my pants

WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT

NATURE I ALMOST PEED MY PANTS.

POEMS by Second Story Students

Copyright Š 2012 by each author.

Editing and book design by Wendy Lee Spacek Cover art by Ariel, Holy Cross End Papers by Cheyenne, Holy Cross About the Program: In the spring of 2012, Second Story brought teaching artists Benjamin Bernthal, Andy Fry, Sunni Harford, Mike Potter, Bret Robinson, Callie McGaughey Smith, Wendy Lee Spacek, and Jenny Walton to after-school programs in three Indianapolis schools: St. Philip Neri, Central Catholic and Holy Cross. The writing and art in this book resulted from prompts and lessons created by Second Story and its teaching artists. All students are 3rd to 5th graders unlessotherwise noted.

About Second Story: Second Story is an Indianapolis-based non-profit writing organization that serves kids, schools, and community organizations. Its programs include in-class writing instruction at local schools, as well as after-school tutoring, creative writing workshops, and literacy events.

Find out more at www.secondstoryindy.org.

Second Story 1014 Prospect St. Indianapolis, IN 46203 (317) 408-1366

Holy Cross

Desarae

Horses Horses Horses are brown and white or they can be all of the colors because I like all horses.

Horses horses are so cool for me I love horses I can ride horses because they are so kind to people and so cute to people they can run with you I love horses I can’t believe that we have horses.

Horses horses

Jayda

Feathers Feathers, they help birds fly.

Taste like cotton sounds like wind feels as soft as pillows on a bed when you wake up smells like vanilla looks like a tiny leaf they gave me hiccups in 2nd grade they make me feel loopy they remind me of branches on a tree.

Abby

Broken Glass Broken glass is a once whole object shattered into a million pieces.

Broken glass has a pointy feeling with the smell of a funeral home it tastes, well, I don’t know what it tastes like because I’m not an idiot.

Broken glass reminds me of the time my friend though this big cube of glass was plastic and threw it onto the cement.

Broken glass makes me feel curious to know why I’m staring at broken glass.

Broken glass reminds me of my abuelitos pozole. Awesome.

Natalia

Abby

Rainbows Rainbows are so colorful they make me feel like a horse.

They look like sunsets.

When I saw you, you were beautiful.

You make me feel like I am the color of a rainbow.

You remind me of a beautiful sunset.

Desarae

Cheyenne

Justin Beiber is famous and he tastes like ribs.

He feels like forest and he smells like fingernail polish remover he sounds like a beautiful whale I saw him on youtube he makes me feel like I am flying he reminds me of a longing.

Jahalha

Grace

Cookie Monster looks like a monster, a friendly one sounds like a cookie crumb falling from his mouth he makes me feel like I’m in my little world.

Smells like butterfly cookies.

The smell of cookie will be the memory. Reminds me of my favorite color.

Grace

My Life I was born on June 29th, 2001.

We lived in a tower, but not that big.

Then we moved to a blue house. I go to school.

I take pills. I never got held back. I’m in 5th grade. I still live in the blue house and I have my own room. I remember when I had a glow in the dark dinosaur, it’s broken now. It was colorful & it glowed.

It was a Brontosaurus.

Alex

Tyler

Julia

My Life I was born December 14th, 1999.

My mom was 24 years young.

My dad was 29 years young.

I came out head first.

When I was 3 years old I learned how to ride a bike.

At 5 years I learned how to swim.

My grandma Denise Bennett taught me.

At the age of 8 I had the best Christmas ever!

We went to Kentucky.

Next week I’m going again to see my Aunty Kim. 2 years after that my sister was born.

At 19 months old I learned how to walk.

My dad’s friend Harry taught me how to walk.

At 2 I learned to talk.

In Kindergarten I learned to multiply my ones.

Not much but it was hard at 5, and I learned how to read in Pre-K. I attend Holy Cross now.

And School 78 in first.

And in Kindergarten I went to my church.

And that’s how my life went.

By the way my name is Zoee.

Zoee

Nature Nature, nature.

Nature is a beautiful thing.

Clean, air, grassy.

When I first heard about it I almost peed my pants.

It reminds me of goodness.

Alex

Ben

I see a tree and rain drops.

I think this picture was taken in a rain forest.

Rain drops are falling from the clouds.

The rain drops are coming from the clouds.

The tree feels SO-SO good it grows, the people that take the pictures showed other people the picture.

Looks SO-SO pretty.

I want to take a picture.

Rain drops fall from the sky, gives water to the tree.

Ariel

Alexis

Brown Eyes are as beautiful as my hazel eyes can see.

Brown eyes may taste like brown lines, smell like fresh breads and feel like nasty sushi, and sound like my mom.

These gorgeous eyes bring me back a memory of dark and chocolate brown cookies that smell delicious.

The feeling of seeing brown eyes makes me feel beautiful inside.

It reminds me of all those great days I’ve had when I was little.

Kara

Chad

Jesus is God’s son. Jesus tastes like flowers. Jesus sounds like birds. Jesus feels happy. Jesus smells like men’s cologne. Jesus looks sad. Jesus makes me feel happy. Jesus reminds me of birds.

Shakiya

Central Catholic

Carlos

Skittles Girl There once was a girl who did an experiment with skittles. It was tempting to drink and she did. When she drank that she then had powers of lasers, sweetness, and freedom.

Then there was a boy who just ate too many Reese’s. He turned into a Reese’s boy.

They never got along.

They just had too many Skittles and Reese’s.

They lived in a mall in the year 3001. They lived right next to each other. Skittles does not like the way Reese’s boy lives. Reese’s loves the way Skittles Girl lives. So Reese’s boy asks Skittles girl if she will marry him. And they got married and had a Reese’s Skittles girl. But they lived happily every after!!!!!!!!!!!

Celia

Yoselin

Swimming is moving in water.

It sounds loud from the water and the kids.

It smells like clorox.

It tastes like dirt.

Swimming feels like going on a long slide.

Last summer I went swimming at Garfield Park I was scared in the big slide.

Swimming reminds me about sunscreen.

Paulina

Andre'a

Chelsea

A Mustang is my dream car.

Yellow with black stripes.

I saw it at “IMax”.

I felt extremely happy.

It reminds me of a horse.

Alex

Rain makes me feel like the water playground at Holiday World.

Something wet that falls from the sky when a cloud gets angry.

It makes me feel wet and it is fun.

It sounds like splash splash.

It tastes like yummy lightning turned into water.

It makes dogs smell stinky.

Last weekend on Friday it was raining while I ate green eggs and ham.

Andre'a

Harlan

Cotton Candy Different color cotton candy it melts when you put it in your mouth.

It’s soft it smells so sweet feels soft sometimes or feels sticky when you eat it some how makes a crunchy sound sometimes it will make me feel energy full and I remember when I went to chuckie cheese once I remember that was the first time I ate cotton candy.

Mariana

Robert

Lazarus

Transformers are robots that transform into cars, trucks pickups, vans machine cars, tanks ships, world computer, phone police car, fire truck motorcycle, train jet, airplane camera, animal ambulance.

They taste horrible oil, gas, smoke.

Bomb, stomp, crash, family action.

Strong scared.

Justice, victory. transformers.

Gerardo

Jungles are fun nice and quiet.

It feels rough smells wet and tastes like mud.

I remember walking through the jungle.

It makes me happy. It reminds me of sleeping in the grass in mid July.

Kendyll

Araceli

Dogs and Cats in Bubbles Dogs and cats in stuff can be cute but in bubbles is more cuter because it can be like that in pet stores!

It sounds cute. (Not that much.)

I beg, beg, beg, beg, beg for a dog, but I think about cats instead.

I want a dog for my birthday so bad‌ It blows up my mind.

It makes me feel happy!

Of a chinchilla that reminds me(Hint: Good mood food maybe).

Dogs and cats in bubbles.

Terrell

Terrell

My Life I was born in 1991. Soon after a few minutes later I heard voices.

After a while I felt the doctors arms. A year later I could walk.

Even though I could float first. At five I started singing about stars, bears, and farms.

I was six and already knew what a sword looked like. Now I am swimming in clear, cool, pool water.

Sarah

St. Philip Neri

My Life When I was born it smelled like perfume in the room. I touch toys, bottles, people, pets and food. I taste all kinds of food that I have to eat. I heard people talking and all kinds of stuff that I heard. I saw books, toys, makeup, clothes, people, and all of the stuff in the world. When I grow up I smelled of all kinds of things. I saw teachers because I had to go to school. And I taste a lot of candy, milk and school food. When I was in school I touch books, paper, pencils, and table, and desk. I heard teacher talking, talking to students in schools. When I went home I touch my dog and my computer and my family. Dishes, food. I touch my clothes, my shoes, doors.

Victoria

Alondra

Titanic Titanic, Titanic Full of peace and memories It is big as a little town Smells like sea and fresh water My memory about the Titanic is that Rose and Jack loved each other till the end.

Alondra

Clariza

The Moon The moon got locked up in a rainbow.

And the moon tried to get out.

But the lock was too strong and said “Don’t touch this.” (Da na na na … ) The flower did a magic trick to make a shooting star appear and so the moon made a wish to escape.

But the flower made a mistake and instead a big hand appeared with a key to unlock the lock.

And then the moon said to the flower “Thank you my friend!”

The flower said “that’s what I do”.

Roselinda

Mom Mom, Mom. You look like the sun.

You’re full of kindness and bright at night your clothes smell like Gain and Febreze.

You always smile and never be denile. You make me feel like I’m in heaven and you never be mean. You remind me of white roses because you are clean from the heart.

Mom, mom.

I love you.

Clariza

Citlalli

My Life I was born in Chicago. And I was born in August 29, 2001. In Christmas I got a big barbie and I touched it and played with it.

It looked like she had high heels and had a beautiful dress its color was pink. And I had five dogs one was gray another was brown, white and another brown.

And I had fun with them.

Alejandra

Michael

The Forest The forest is wet. The rain is important to flowers and trees.

It sounds like when we have a bath. It smells like flowers.

It tastes like salty water.

It makes me feel like when I take a bath.

Perla

Victoria

The Pink Animal from the Ocean It tastes salty.

Its name is Pink Animal.

It makes you feel happy!

It would make you happy because it is bright. It also is pink. My favorite color! I think it would hurt if you touch it because it has some crazy spikes.

The color can make you happy but it can hurt you!

Nichelle