Octopus Cake: Poems & Stories by Imani House Kids at P.S. 282

Octopus Cake

Poems and Stories by Imani House Kids at P.S. 282 1

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Octopus Cake Fall 2011/Spring 2012 Poems and Stories by Imani House Kids at P.S. 282

NY Writers Coalition Press 3

Copryright Š 2012 NY Writers Coalition Inc. Upon publication, copyright to individual works returns to the authors.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Editor: Cecilia Galarraga, Nancy L. Weber Layout: Serena Maszak Title: Cierra Bain Front Cover Drawing: Naimah Whitley Back Cover Drawing: Alyssa Grant Octopus Cake contains writing by the Fall 2011/Spring 2012 members of the NY Writers Coalition creative writing workshops conducted at PS 282 in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

NY Writers Coalition would like to thank the following supporters, without whom this writing workshop and anthology would not exist: Amazon.com, Brooklyn Community Foundation, Kalliopeia Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, administered by the Brooklyn Arts Council, Inc. (BAC), the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Two West Foundation, the Union Square Awards, Valentine Perry Snyder Fund, and all our individual donors, attendees of our annual Write-A-Thon and NY Writers Coalition members William Sortor and Diana Son & Family.

NY Writers Coalition Inc. 80 Hanson Place, #603 Brooklyn, NY 11217 (718) 398-2883 info@nywriterscoalition.org www.nywriterscoalition.org Imani House, Inc. (IHI) is a community based multi-cultural organization that provides programs, services and hope to many immigrants, youth and lowincome residents of the area. For more information about Imani House, visit www.imanihouse.org or e-mail imani@imanihouse.org.

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Introduction It has been a great pleasure to facilitate the Imani House workshop over the past few months. The Imani House kids are clever, energetic, funny, and incredibly creative. They have written plays, poems, scary stories, and have even invented writing forms of their own. They are inspired by so many things, and it is always a surprise to see what new and exciting writing they will come up with.

Thank you to all of the young Imani House writers who have joined me each week, and thank you to all of the writers from previous sessions who have included their writing in this book.

I owe much thanks to Ms. Hager for giving me the opportunity to work with Imani House. Much thanks as well to Mr. Kadeem for his support and good humor in the Writing Club classroom every week, and to NYWC leader Sojourner Walker, who led the Imani House workshop in the first half of the program year.

Cecilia Galarraga Spring 2012

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MY WORD: GROCERY CIERRA BAIN, AGE 8 G goat R rope O octopus C cake E egg R rat Y yo-yo S sandwich T television O oval R rail E elephant C can O omni present L lion D duck W wagon O over R ramp K kite E everywhere R run 7

MY POEM CIERRA BAIN The cat is looking for Its food and it sits silently until I feed it. We then went to the city and then we bought some cat food, and I lost my cat. He was on the harbor walking. So I went up there to get him and it was so foggy and I went to get him he jumped down and he said I will never take you to the city again.

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MR. GRAY CIERRA BAIN Mr. Gray, Mr. Gray, I want to play, I will see you today, and I will see you tomorrow, Hooray, Mr. Gray, Mr. Gray You don’t want to play I won’t see you tomorrow or today, Oh poor Mr. Gray, why won’t you play. You are such a boring Mr. Gray.

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THE CREEPY HOUSE DESIREE BEST, AGE 8 One day there was a little boy named Joe. He went to a house at the end of the corner. Joe entered the house, out of nowhere this skeleton popped out and said “why did you enter this house?” Joe did not answer because he was scared. So Joe ran up the stairs in fright. As soon as the skeleton left Joe ran down the stairs and out of the house.

The next day Joe walked past the house going to the store to pick up cough drops for his mom. Then as soon as he came out of the store he ran back home because he thought that creepy skeleton might pop out again. As soon as Joe got home he ran up to his room he looked up skeletons.

The following day he went back to the house the skeleton popped up. The skeleton asked, “Why have you come here?” Joe answered, “Because I have something to do.”

The skeleton asked, “What might that be?”

Joe answered, “To kill you.” So they fought in the house. Joe won! Joe ran out of the house. The house disappeared.

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Joe no longer had to see that creepy house or that creepy skeleton. Joe knew the skeleton was guarding the house so if he killed the skeleton the house would disappear.

MYSTERY HOUSE DESIREE BEST One day there were two little children named Jill and Jim. Jill saw a house and did not know what it looked like. Jill asked “What does it look?” Jim said “I do not know.”

The next day they discovered what the house looked like. They went online it read “This type of house is called a I don’t know house.” They now know what kind of house it is.

The End!

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MOTHER MIAH BROWNE, AGE 8 Mother you are so sweet Of the things you are so neat The hugs and kisses you give me Hugs and kisses I love Everything you do for me Ripe as an apple NO PLACE LIKE HOME PART 1 MIAH BROWNE Amanda = where are we? lila = I don’t know Amanda = are we lost? lila = maybe maybe not Amanda = hey look we are in food! lila = good I’m starving Amanda = dig in! lila = hooray! hunter = hey stop that! lila = oh no a hunter!

Amanda = run for it!

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hunter = come back here! lila = I want to go home Amanda = me too so let’s run! lila = ok! ok!

The Bears run and run until they get tired.

Amanda = where are we? lila = I don’t know Amanda = look! food! lila = yummy zebras hunter = hey leave those zebras! lila = come on I’m hungry! hunter = you won’t be hungry when I’m done with you bears!

The hunter shoots lila.

Amanda = no lila speak to me!

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NO PLACE LIKE HOME PART 2 MIAH BROWNE The two bears run into a forest.

Amanda = ok now we are safe. lila = what happened?

Amanda = you got shot by the hunter. lila = yeah I feel the pain in my butt.

Amanda = ok? lila = What!?

Amanda = nothing nothing lila = I’m hungry Amanda = me too lila = let’s eat some honey.

Amanda = honey is at home 14

chipmunk = your house is by the near tree.

Amanda = thank you lila = see you soon!

To be continued!

KILL ME IF YOU CAN DEVIN COLON, AGE 9 Scene I Narrator: There once lived a king who had wars over very little situations.

The King: Where are all my best weapons, Sergeant? I need them now.

Warrior 1: The other army has taken it over the night.

The King: How could they get our weapons, this whole castle is filled with guards.

Warrior 2: We’re in the middle of a war my lord we can’t diff aaahhhh! Get off me you lazy bug.

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The King: Sergeant, Sergeant, say something.

Warrior 1: That’s it my lord someone has killed out best warrior.

Mummies: I will kill you, but first I will squish you easy.

Narrator: So everybody was killed except for two people a pregnant woman and a father.

Scene II Pregnant woman: Honey, why are we looking at all these dead bodies, it’s making me scared.

Father: We’re trying to look for clues, shhhhh I hear something.

Goko: I smell someone who is still alive.

Mummies: I don’t hear any thing.

Goko: Oh, shut up stupid babdaya’s, I’m trying to hear something.

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The King: Uhhh….Sergeant Sergeant do you read me. (sobs and cries) Sergeant: I’m okay sir where are you?

The King: I’m in Africa.

Sergeant: There’s a helicopter, and I have a tracker.

The King: Hurry up I think Goko’s here.

Sergeant: I’ll come as fahhhh!

The King: Sergeant Sergeant!

Goko: You better kill yourself or I will kill you, what would it be.

The King: How about you get killed.

Ahhhhh!

The pregnant woman: Ahhhh honey, get these mummies off me ahhh!

Father: Sweetie I can’t Goko has me ahhh!

Narrator: Especially everybody is dead because of Goko and his team of mummies.

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EARTH DEVIN COLON Earth, people, life orbiting, rotating, spinning we live here milky way Dear Earth, You can trust me to take care of you.

Save our planet earth.

Keep Earth clean & take care of it.

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STRIPED ROCK DEVIN COLON sebile titans ring is stupid partiness enough being drunk dec rang over overrected ceila kids rock & rule

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LEAF STORY ALYSSA GRANT, AGE 8 I just got near a house so big. Then one day I got planted by a boy named Nick and then I got bigger after 15 whole months and then it became Fall and Winter, Spring and Summer. Then I stepped down from a tree so tall and I forgot to tell you my name is just 15.

I DON’T KNOW WHY I LOVE ME SO MUCH ALYSSA GRANT I don’t know why I love me so much is it because my hair, skirt or other stuff I love me because Alyssa is a great name it fits my style it also fits my brain.

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BLOODY MARY, BLOODY MARY, BLOODY MARY ALYSSA GRANT One spooky Halloween night I woke up it was 12:00 pm at night I walked downstairs went to the bathroom and said in the mirror Bloody Mary Bloody Mary Bloody Mary and I saw her face. To be continued… Next morning When I saw Bloody Mary I went back up stairs, locked the door and hid under the blankets. I was locked in there for years and years. I was locked up there because Bloody Mary was right at the front of the door.

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I AM GOOD JUSTIN MACEY, AGE 8 I am good at games.

I am good at math.

I love rookies.

I love TV. I love beyblades.

I am smart.

I am in 3rd grade.

I am 8 years old.

I like Saturdays.

I like to see my relatives.

I like to play.

I like fish.

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JUST RIGHT JUSTIN MACEY Just right use a lot of effort talks a lot during class is very idle in math not good at baseball DEAR GOKU JUSTIN MACEY Dear Goku, How did you go super sayn before Vegeta when Vegeta when you were in the healing station once? How did you beat Caller so easy? How did King Kai’s planet explode when you fought cell? How did you absorb the spirit bomb? How did you defeat Broly 7 years ago?

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ACROSTIC POEM KIANAH MCBEAN, AGE 8 Karate Classes!

Ice Cream!

Amia is my sister Nizar is my friend Acting Hate full and Love full!

YACKI DOODLE KIANAH MCBEAN Yackie doodle one two tap riding on a pony stuck a feather in his tail and called it mack-a-roni Yacki doodle keep it up Yacki-doodle handie

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HEARTS KIANAH MCBEAN Hearts get broken everyday. Hearts are the most important. You can’t live without your heart. My heart isn’t good!

POEM BRIANNA MCLEOD, AGE 8 Once upon a time there was a kid she really really wanted a pig but, her mother & father really really didn’t want a pig. I’m not a dummy but, I am funny. There is no problem to this. But tell me that is nice but, give me some great feed this back & some great advice!

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THIS IS RAMON BRIANNA MCLEOD This is Ramon. She is brave, she is brown.

Ramon is passing on her family traditions.

Her parents died because they suffered by being stepped on. Ramon died too.

The end.

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STORY BRIANNA MCLEOD One day 3 girls were on their way to the bowling alley when they got there Alyssa had a fuss about her bowling shoes. “I think they are too big!” She kept on complaining.

Brianna said “STOP!” Brianna was so annoyed she went home. Khellie said “Try my shoes!” She tried them on she said “They feel good.” The party went on & everybody had a good time & Alyssa stop complaining.

FINN AND KYLE SHOW KYLE MCNEILL, AGE 8 Finn OK today on finn and kyle show we will see if any one can kill a shark NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sammaches allowed check please that’s everything tonight folks

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LEAF STORY KYLE MCNEILL Once upon a time there was a leaf that fell off a tree but he was about to hang on then this bully kicks him in his stomach that’s when the leaf took his knife and cut the other leaf in half.

BIG NATE STRIKES AGAIN KYLE MCNEILL One day big Nate turned bad and he started to kill the moofeau so they started to hunt him down so Nate started to kill them one by one bom bom he killed Joy bom bom he killed Rex. 30

THE THINGS I LOVE IN MY LIFE KHELLIE MICHAEL, AGE 9 I love to rollerskate.

I love my family.

I love the way I am.

I love my life.

I love to write, and most important I love my friends Alassy, Shanau, Tarzhay and most important Briana. Briana is my heart Briana is my strength and Briana is the one that makes me happy every day.

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MY LIFE KHELLIE MICHAEL On Jan 13 2003 I was born. I was 1 and then I was 2 and I was 3 and when I was 3 I was so so so so peach I thought I was going to have a lot of car and houses and if I did I was the happiest girl, well 3 year old happiest girl in the world. Now I am 9 year old and I have the best life a 9 year old girl can have it is because my friends and family.

The world is a great place.

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PERSEPHOPNE DANIELLE MULLINS, AGE 8 Demeter: Have you eaten yet Persephone: well not yet Zeus: What’s up MY LIFE USING 6 WORDS THAT SCARES ME DANIELLE MULLINS I hate spiders they’re ugly you should not look at them they creep you oh no a spider is coming in my room bye I’m leaving. See you next year.

Once there was 8 boys and 11 girlies walking in the rainforest soon they heard trees moving vines swinging they thought it was their friends but they did not ask one of their friends they forgot all about that 1 friend they walked very slowly it was very dark outside they saw a shadow one thing I can’t tell them its really their shadow.

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Then boo that one friend that they forgot to asked to come with them then they fell on the floor. Now they remember to ask everybody before they go on dark nights.

The end.

THERE WAS ONCE A ROCK DANIELLE MULLINS There was once a rock it came from a very spooky house with rats and bats and all kind of spooky stuff. And in the spooky house there was one little tiny rock in there and I meant only. And there was a boy his name was John and he went into the spooky house and he saw the rock and he picked it up and he threw it on the ground and then bad bad things started to happen then Jony or whatever his name was ran out the house and when he ran out the house it started to rain so hard that the rock came to life and grabbed John sadly for John he was killed. If you were John you know not to crack another rock.

The end.

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6 OR MORE TARZHAY ROBASSON, AGE 9 Tarzhay – If you make a correct sentence with 6 words.

Tarzhay – Hi my name is Molly Tarzhay – Hi my name is Maxcine Tarzhay – Hi my name is Eric Tarzhay – Molly it is your Tarzhay – Um em em em Tarzhay – 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, ohh sorry Molly you’re out.

Tarzhay – Maxcine it’s your turn Tarzhay – I had six cakes Tarzhay – Sorry that’s 4 words Tarzhay – Eric it’s your turn 36

Tarzhay – My aunt has a white cat Tarzhay – You won you get 7,000,000 dollars.

DEAR TREE TARZHAY ROBASSON Dear Tree, Maple Leaf 18 on your branch My journey was long. I got hole but I’m fine. Brown and dirty as leaf 15. Me, you and my sister Ramon leaf 17. I hope we meet face to face. sincerely Maple leaf 18 on your branch

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NAT NAT TARZHAY ROBASSON Nat Nat go away because I want you to stop bugging me. Go Go Go. That’s the door go in it. You’re not going. I’ll open it for you. Knock it off. I’m moving you have to pay for the house if you want it.

LEAVES FALLING SHAUNA ROBERTS, AGE 8 Leaves falling Excellent color about when they fall find out how it falls

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BABIES SHAUNA ROBERTS Babies are cute Babies are fun When they laugh you see them run They are sleepy They are not Noise and they do not like taking baths.

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SOUND IT UP! SHAUNA ROBERTS “When the sound come up” When your heart is truth you can find it out it will come to you come it will come to you it will be alright just come with me come with me come with me it will be alright Come on come on it will be alright just come on when you can have fun and anything can not stop you you can find it out in will come to you.

“I can sing I can dance you can sing and dance it will all be alright when the sound come up 40

when your heart is truth you can find it out it will come to you.”

HORROR ANISSA SOTO, AGE 8 The scariest story goes like this. One cold quiet night a little girl was home watching TV. And suddenly she heard a voice Ohh, Ohh, Ohh, and then her head came off.

Freddy Kooger showed up. Freddy put her in a plastic bag and she was really, really, really, bloody. Her dad showed up in the kitchen he screamed “Where’s my daughter!” Her mom showed up and the bell rang it was Chuckie! Her body was chopped up and she was dead. The sister walked in and she screamed “Where’s my sister!” The horror continued day after day.

Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, bloody mary I have your baby.

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THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS ANISSA SOTO Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse. The kids looked so cute.

The children could not jump, because they were all snug. They had their caps for a long cold winters nap. Sometimes we that nice cool air in hope St. Nicholas would soon be there.

“They’re so cute when they sleep!”

“I don’t think.” “On them I’m rather spill ink.” “I love you!” “I love you too.”

That’s the night before Christmas.

Now Dasher! On Comet!

Now Dancer! On Cupid!

Now Prancer! On Donner! and Vixen and Blixen!

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SCHOOL IS COOL ANISSA SOTO School is cool but I'd rather drool at the TV. Drooling is available for kids named Ben and Jen and Ken. You can drool, but remember you got to go to school.

Drooling isn’t knowledge, but remember to go to college. School and college are knowledge, but drooling is better.

WHERE IS THOR JAYDEN THEODAT, AGE 8 Thor where are you Thor where did you go Where is thorrrr’s hammer right here father o son ha ha ha you’re grounded what!

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GOHAN VS. HULK JAYDEN THEODAT Danielle: Welcome to the smack down of the centy. Super sain android killer Gohan.

Gohan: Who ever’s in my way isn’t hear to say anything!

Danielle: He weak but don’t get him angry or say good night Hulk.

Hulk: Hulk bad Hulk mad. Me no like blondy.

Gohan: What did you say chump. for that your going down Hulk: Sweet talk.

Danielle: fight (moves off stage) (Hulk and gohan start fighting) Gohan/Hulk: What TIE Epic crazy radical awsome 45

ONE DAY IN A GRAVE YARD JAYDEN THEODAT One day in a grave yard every year ghost phatome walk on day vampire get lucky and walk during the day. Zobies will get your flesh wile you sleep if you dare enter this world you’ll be sory. Worriers wampire sliefs even aliens whent they died with one hit bat king zompier and queen wolfpier are so strong they killed both sides in world war 2 and made this land with your antsisters and turned them into zombies beware don’t turn off the lights or the vapiers will get you happy halloween and don’t travel to zombie land or else you’ll die and the loudest noises will make y death and I’ll eat your brain sorry but all monster on that iland belong to me and tell kill you. Don’t go outside on halloween some people like zombies could be real.

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$5.00

Cierra Bain Desiree Best Miah Browne Devin Colon Alyssa Grant Justin Macey Kianah McBean Brianna McLeod Kyle McNeill Khellie Michael Danielle Mullins Tarzhay Robasson Shauna Roberts Anissa Soto Jayden Theodat

NY Writers Coalition Press 48