Out of this World: A Collection of Poems by CHARM Inspired by Space

CHARM: Voices of Baltimore Youth Baltimore Unity Hall | 1505 Eutaw Place | Baltimore, MD 21217

https://charmlitmag.org

Cover Art & Interior Illustrations: Em Goheen

Book Design: Yifan Luo

© CHARM & authors, 2023

UNTITLED by Gage, Grade 5

For now the beautiful world begins

We see beautiful things again and again

When I look in the sky

It makes me feel, it’s nearby

All the time we see beautiful things begin

We know this won’t be the end

STAR BRIGHT

by Tamryn, Grade 5

Star light.

Star bright.

First stars I see tonight.

Twinkly star in my eye.

You and only you make me fly.

Today I see you.

Tomorrow I won’t but it was a pleasure meeting you, Star bright.

Amelia Hillebrant

REBORN

by Vasyl, Grade 7

Four Dancers

Gleaming and glowing

On a vast, dark stage a concert at midnight

Having practiced their intricate dance

For decades

Hoping For the moment

When they will be Reborn.

Right: Stephan’s Quintet

SPACE

by Gage, Grade 5

S upercool

P artly Bright

A mazing

C omplex

E xtra Space

Right: Cosmic Cliffs of Carina

POSSIBILITY

by Vasyl, Grade 7

A blank page Dark but welcoming Full of wonder — Possibility. An artist ponders… Look up and look into the sky

Inspiration STRIKES!

Colors: Blues

Greens

Reds

Colors we can’t even see Combine to make one Beautiful Image

SPACE

by Milo, Grade 2

With numbers and letters they can make a picture.

How will they do it?

When will they do it?

With telescopes!

Whenever they want, They shall do it.

With yellow, orange, green, and red, they shall do it.

Whenever they want

However they want They shall do it.

With 2, 4, 8, or 9 points, They shall do it. While eating a snack or watching a show, They will do it.

UNTITLED by Ivan, Grade 4

Millions of galaxies, Dancing in a field, Even when they’re scared, Bolts coming loose, Not a sitting duck, But a sitting goose. A black hole sweeps them up, They cry in dismay,

Left: Deep Field SMACS 0723

Help us!

Help us!

We’re getting swept awayyyyyyyyy

After they’re gobbled up, They’re in a different place

It is like they’re stuck In a tall glass vase. Never being able to escape, They’re stuck in some vape.

GROUNDED by Vasyl, Grade 7

I stare up in the sky and suddenly my shoes grow wings and I grow weightless and I lift myself into lost space whizzing past the atmosphere

As I sit here grounded on earth

then I stop. I stare out into the cosmos but past the stars into a cornfield of galaxies but one interests me the most. I zoom in. And I watch with wonder the 4 dancers

and

Swirling around and around on their great cosmic stage dancing a decades old dance each waiting for their big moment. Out in the distance something catches my eye. And as I float over

Weightless

I see colors flash by whizzing by me Orange

Blue like the sky beyond which lie the vast great cosmos

There is beauty in death sometimes. And as I float further back

I see a beach great sandy waves of dust and the vibrant blue ocean just beyond.

Blue like our blue marble

There is beauty in life too.

And as I go forth farther beyond I reach emptiness I feel emptiness I remember my family

Friends on that wonderful majestic blue marble out here in this vast universe. And I float down through the sand on the beach back through the colorful bed of gas and dust

past the performers still dancing. Back down

through the atmosphere back into my chair.

And I let my thoughts Flow

Sometimes it’s nice to be grounded.

ULTIMATE NEBULA

by Liam, Grade 5

Flow with the stars

With your love and Your heart, Dance

With exploding Stars make stars

With your hand with Dust make fireworks

To make galaxies

Wrap them all in A colorful Blanket. Then Take them all out

One by one and

To make life again

POEM by Milo, Grade 2

This world is rainbow

This world is like a big birthday party in your head

This world is like NASA, The greatest space station in the world.

Right: Southern Ring Nebula

Acknowlegements

Thank you to everyone who helped make this publication possible:

CHARM’s Whitney Birenbaum and Annalies Winny

Em Goheen, who created the beautiful lasercut illustrations inspired by the words of our young poets

Yifan Luo, who designed this publication

Amelia Hillebrant, Suryaa Rangarajan, Sudesna Sujoy, and Madalyn

Drewno from MICA ILP’s Drawing Non-Fiction course, who created live illustrations of the workshop

And a special thank you to Margaret W. Carruthers and Alyssa Pagan from the Space Telescope Science Institute, who conducted the workshop where these poems were created.

Images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope courtesy of NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI.

The Space Telescope Science Institute is located in Baltimore, Maryland. We are grateful for the opportunity for Baltimore’s youth to experience these images and find inspiration in them.

About CHARM

CHARM: Voices of Baltimore Youth is a literary-arts organization founded on the belief that kids’ voices matter. We are on a mission to support young people as they develop as writers, and provide a platform to amplify their voices.

CHARM magazine was founded by a group of teachers and their students in 2013, and has since published 15 publications that feature the poetry, fiction, essays, and artwork of over 1,000 students from more than 50 public schools in Baltimore City. CHARM magazine is curated and produced by a dynamic student editorial board, which consists of middle and high schoolers from across Baltimore City.

We also offer a host of other programming designed to support young writers and amplify student voices, including in-person and virtual workshops. Check us out at www.charmlitmag.org for more information, and follow us on social media @charmlitmag.

Want to get involved? Want to support our work? We welcome your contribution on our website, and your gift is tax deductible. We also offer monthly subscription options at www.patreon.com/charmlitmag.

© CHARM & authors, 2023