FOLD Kids Writing Portfolio

HOUSE FIRE

Tamiera Baker, age 12

I got out of the car; the cold wind kissed me on the cheek to say hello I was greeted by flashing lights and crowds of people I walked a little further and there it was, one of the most beautifully horrific performances, bringing tears of fear to my eyes and screams from others It danced in the colors of orange and fiery red, it danced until the end of the night I stood there, swimming in seawater, as my mother said “It’ll be okay” One of the most horrifically horrendous scenes It was as if a dragon had had a bad day, at least that’s what I told myself I pinched myself hoping that the street would crumple and I’d wake up in my bed That it was all just a dream that I would forget in an instant But it wasn’t, at the end of the performance there was nothing but the ashes of a burnt stage Everything was gone, no one clapped, no one cheered, Just tears and the flashing lights of blue and red as the dancers took a final bow

WHY THE DELAY?

Naomi McDonald, age 11

You say no more slavery and that we walk hand in hand We march, we kneel and we take a stand I hear whitefolks say anti-Black racism has come to an end Then why do they say we will have life behind bars We gangsters, we dumb, we belong in cop cars

It happened yesterday, why still happening today? When it comes to anti-Black racism why the big delay? You may think blond hair, blue eyes mean you are pretty and will succeed Well I have dark cocoa skin, I am Black why you call me ugly? I am taught to be fearless Be bold and be tearless It’s like a bullet in my mind, no one is designed To be slaves, or birds trapped in a cage anti-Black racism happens everyday We need to make change now People said that for years Owww You get hurt they ask “you ok” I, a Black, get whipped, you look right past me You laugh, watch me cry While I boil up inside, watch the fire in my eyes Why is my race always under attack? You strike me now but I can’t fight back Not ‘cause I ain’t strong But if I fight back the police surround me with guns Whose fault is it? They say it’s the Black ones

It happened yesterday, why still happening today? When it comes to anti-Black racism why the big delay? I am tired, filled with pain, hurtfulness and sorrow I am told anti-Black racism will end, just wait until tomorrow

Years have past learnt so much about European settlers Where’s my type? Why the Whites act like predators? In classes students talk about dreams and ways to succeed When it’s the Black students turn they are overlooked and forced to yell “Blacks can achieve!” What makes me different from you? I love the skin I am in You hate me why? Because of extra melanin?

I am not afraid, I am used to the violence Come at me, I don’t care I know I will make a difference somewhere That’s when silence filled the air Yes I faced barriers, challenges, discrimination All my life I wanted to stop and solve this situation So far no one answered my equation That’s why I am still here today Looking for a railroad to show my people the way To true freedom

It Happened yesterday, why still happening today? When it comes to anti-Black racism, Why the big delay?

TREES OF MEMORIES

Isabel Swan, age 9

Today each family plants a tree in memory of a loved one Who has passed away We wish they were still here today.

They were all important, and meant so much to us We miss them, because we loved them so much

Some were family, some were friends, All were special, each one of a kind We cherish the beautiful memories They each have left behind.

Today each family plants a tree part of a memory forest we hope lasts eternally Today I plant a living tree for all to see to tell the world you lived and were loved by me!

For recital at tree memorial dedication ceremony in memory of her great–Nin’s passing.

A FOREST HOME

Zara Zafar, age 14

The snake slithers across the forest floor. Moving silently, Left

and

Right.

It follows the dying laughter of the stream, Dodging the falling leaves, Side

to

Side.

It watches the squirrels play in the trees, Staying in the shadows, Here

and

There.

It ignores the birds cries as they fly, Looking for their houses, This way

and

That.

It pretends the shade over its burrow isn’t missed, As the trees walk away, East

to

West.

It wonders if his home will be there When the dust storms away, Angry

and

Unforgiving.

THE R.M.S. TITANIC

Olivia Gyuran, age 13

The largest ship in 1912 Caused an excited panic Made of thousands of tons of metal The R.M.S. Titanic Her corpse lies at the ocean floor Her proud frame broken and bent Her windows smashed, her hallways dark 100 years she has spent But let’s go back to her glorious days When people strolled her decks Black top hats and dresses a twirl Off polished floor reflects People spent all their huge some fortune To get a lodging here The women enjoyed their time at a party While men got drunk on beer But one clear starry, cloudless night When the water was frigidly cold The captain got a radio call “Icebergs ahead!” they were told Having ignored these ominous warnings Something came into their sight A glowing white iceberg loomed out of the dark Giving the crew a fright A panic erupted amongst the men And they tried to steer away But alas, she hit, she struck the burg A terrible price she’d pay Her hull was punctured with dagger like ice And water gushed in with greed But all the passengers felt was a jolt While the poor Titanic screamed They didn’t know the extent of the damage Until the reporter came back The massive doomed ship had sparse hours left And half the lifeboats she lacked They quickly handed the lifebelts out And passengers woke from sleep Confused, and worried- the engine had stopped The crew’s feeble lies were cheap C.Q.D. and S.O.S. Cries of help were sent But the nearest ship was four hours away; Their beloved ship was spent “Women and children first” they decided And piled them into boats But those lifeboats were only halfway full As they were lowered, left to float The ship’s great bow gracefully dipped Into the bone-chilling cold A firework of distress was desperately shot; Fiery reds and glittering gold An hour later the lifeboats were sparse The brave musicians stopped playing The decks were tilted to such a degree That the massive smokestacks were swaying The dying ship was moaning now Her stern was high in the air “Every man for himself!” was the helpless command To the hundreds still trapped there Then, with a flicker, the lights went out And the mighty smokestacks fell Passengers slid towards the dark water; Life was a living hell But then, with a mighty shudder and crack The unsinkable ship split in two The stern crashed back down to the ocean’s black waters While the half-attached bow sank, a strewn Then the stern went vertical again Screaming people tried to hold on They banged against rails and shattered their bones, They saw no more of dawn

The water-logged ship bobbed for a moment And the survivors held their breath But it only took suspenseful moments Before it plunged them towards their deaths The ship went down, bubbling and slurping As she was pulled to the ocean floor But she also dragged down hundreds of souls From their bodies tore At last, her proud name, mighty “Titanic” Sunk beneath the surface And the terrified stranded souls were shattered; They would never forget this. An anguished wail rose from the water Hundreds cried as one Out of the flourishing 2,000 people 1,500 were gone But the little amount of people left Could only cry and hope That their hearts kept beating a little longer And with the cold they could cope Hours later, like the sun The hero ship arrived And saved them from the icy water Frozen and barely alive Back on shore the news did fly The newspapers’ tongues went loose; “The Titanic crashed, but is being towed in” Of course, that was anything but truth But when the real news was released Families were broken and shook They searched in vain for a lost brother or father With hopeless, black-clothed looks 100 years later we still remember That horrible, tragic panic She now lies rusting at the ocean floor The R.M.S. Titanic

THE IRONY OF A COUNTRY’S NAME

Isabelle Mishkis, age 13

Bailey Holt, age 15 Gina Montalto, age 14 Christian Garcia, age 15 Alaina Petty, age 14 Peter Wang, age 15 Martin Anguiano, age 14 You know who those people are? Kids Kids that went to school every day just like us Except they never walked out and I don’t think I need to explain why Kids that were so young Robbed of the bright futures they had in store for them They died because of a teenager with access to a gun They died trying to text their family “I love you” Between July 24 2009, and July 24 2019 There were 180 school shootings With 356 students posing as victims In one country Maria Granados Edwin Perigrino Joe Griffith Raul Garcia Rodolfo Julio Arco You know who these people are? People that were just trying to go from one place to another on a highway in Texas They didn’t reach their desired destination Because of one person who was maybe just

‘bored’ that day How difficult is to understand that monotony is not an excuse to the sole fact that More Americans have been killed by guns since 1968 Than every US war you could possibly combine You probably know that eating a kinder surprise egg in America is a huge no-no As well as sleeping in a cheese factory in

South Dakota Owning a pet rat in Montana Or honking a car horn at a sandwich shop after 9pm in Arkansas Walking around with a gun in your pocket though is okay for the most part The Irony of a Country’s Name For a first world country That has the word UNITED in their name It’s ironic Isn’t it? How no one wants to be the same How people shoot up Synagogues, Mosques, and Churches Just to prove that their religion is the most sane Ironic Isn’t it? That dozens of people were visiting a church on the morning of November 5th, 2017 Praying for a LONG peaceful life in a beautiful state When a convict decided to “attend” Sutherland

Springs church at 11:20 am And when he walked out the church doors at 11:30 am He took the lives of Ten women Seven men Seven girls One boy And an unborn child With him

Just with a gun This could have been stopped He already had a reputation But this is a nation Where you can walk into Walmart And purchase anything of your needs Including, can you guess? Guns and Ammunition Speaking of Walmart Let’s not ignore the fact That the seventh deadliest mass shooting Happened in a walmart In El Paso, Texas, on August 3rd 2019 Taking the lives of 22 people And injuring 24 more A shooting targeted against hispanic people Let’s also not ignore the fact that on June 12th 2016 The Irony of a Country’s Name 49 people were shot and killed 53 people were left wounded At an Orlando nightclub And for what? Dancing? My bad, I didn’t realize it was a crime to dance now. What about December 10th, 2019 When three people were shot and killed Remind me not to bring my jewish self to a kosher grocery store in Jersey City Remember when four people died after being shot In a waffle house in Tennessee Makes you wonder just how many people were scared to go out to eat after that Imagine this You’re in a restaurant, just eating food Suddenly shots ring out You hear shrieks as loud as a child’s first tantrum You’re imagining this, but so many people don’t have too The second amendment of the US constitution clearly states “ A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed” For the sake of that People believe it’s their right Their right to own a machine that can kill within seconds That can strip someone of their parents, their child, their best friend or the love of their life People believe that it’s their right to kill What is the problem with understanding the fact Thousands are dying because of a curable disease Many are suffering And the ones that survive The trauma stays with them for the rest of their lives The second amendment couldn’t have predicted this No one could’ve 517 lives could’ve been protected That’s just from 2019 435 mass shootings last year More shootings than days In one country

The Irony of a Country’s Name I’m waiting for when we finally take a stance Claim enough is enough when it comes down to our lives being playing around with as if they’re games I think we can all agree That we don’t want our kids having to sacrifice their childhoods Because playing at the park is no longer safe Oh and fellow police officers Your job is to protect us not kill us Racial profiling shouldn’t be a thing in this day and age And neither should be arresting 6 year olds And now you see the irony that comes with a country’s name The “United” States of America Hah Funny joke. Let’s stop for a moment And take a look around ourselves Along with guns Continents are on fire Police brutality is back like it’s 1965 There are kids sitting in cages at the border and dying But nah, that ain’t a problem right? The fact that homelessness is on the rise again Poverty levels are at their highest Maybe we just got lucky More than 3 billion people live on less than $2.50 a day That’s not a problem either, is it? The world is slowly dying Can’t we see this? Do we not care and choose to ignore it? Do we think someone else is going to do something heroic We’re the generation that has to live with this Not the generation of people we rely on If you think this doesn’t affect you It does Wake up It’s not just one race, it’s everyone’s lives. The Irony of a Country’s Name

I WISH

Chase Ragoobar, age 7

I wish the world would go back to normal without covid 19 I wish there was no lockdown and school would reopen and my drama class too I wish i could see my friends to talk to once again, see my cousin and have sleepovers I wish i could go to the store, eat out, sit on the beach, maybe go to Cuba like i did once before or visit my grandparents in England I wish i could go to the park and play just like before I wish events was not cancelled due to Covid 19 and i could see the fireworks for Canada day, i hope Halloween and Christmas and other events too will be able to celebrate. I wish that i don’t need to wash my hands, wear mask and social distancing I wish i didn’t need to live in a bibble I wish i could see covid 19 and tell it to disappear. Is covid 19, 19 years old???

NIAGARA FALLS

Maya Adewunmi, age 10

Oh nature, Oh Nature, How wonderful you can be, letting me watch the water and the mist of the falls. Going to Parks. Watching dogs chasing squirrels. People eating ice cream. Walking along sidewalks and singing with the birds. Going hom in our car. Seeing the ship wreck of “La GRAND HERMINI”. Memories I will never forget. Oh Niagara Falls, beauty of nature, until I see you again.

MY SISTER

Charlotte Ma, age 7

My sister just turned 17. She is 10 years older than me. She was born in the year of the sheep. She is like a sheep. She is loyal. Sometimes she doesn’t tell my parents when I do something wrong. But sometimes she does. I don’t mind because I love her. When we watch a scary movie, I sit on her lap and she comforts me. Sometimes her legs are prickly. It feels as if beetles are crawling up my legs. But I don’t mind because I love her. Sometimes she braids my hair. When I take it out in the morning, my hair is curly. I like that. Sometimes we practice Mandarin together. I say wo ai ni jie jie. That means I love you older sister.

NOT JUST ANY CUPCAKE

Eric Sauvé, age 11

I want a cupcake with a mountain of icing, I want a cupcake that is wonderfully whimsical. I want a cupcake as shiny as a ruby ring, I want a cupcake fit for a king. I want a cupcake that wins the Nobel Pastry Prize, I want a cupcake that tops the Tashkent Tower in size, Whose spirit never dies, even after it is eaten, I want a cupcake that cannot be beaten. I want a cupcake that undoubtedly wants me, I want a cupcake that spiritually haunts me! I want a cupcake that endlessly taunts me, That is the king of sweet treats, The prince of baking feats, And the duke of amazing everyone it meets. I want a cupcake worthy of praise, I want a cupcake I can savour for days, I want a cupcake with unbeatable flavour, To enjoy in many different ways. I want a cupcake that is flooded in frosting, I want a cupcake that is drowning in sprinkles, I want a cupcake with flavours galore: Raspberry, rosemary, and many, plenty more! I want a cupcake that melts in my mouth Like a snowball in July, I want a cupcake that is filled To the brim with love, I want a cupcake that is pretty; a Picasso painting For my belly. I want a cupcake that is not just a muffin with icing, I want a cupcake that is outrageously enticing! I want a cupcake as colourful as a pyrotechnics display, That will light up the desolate road Of my miserable life. I want a cupcake that gives life a whole new meaning, I want a cupcake that leaves its baker preening. I want a cupcake worthy of Sugar Rush, And when I eat it, everyone goes, “Hush”. I want a cupcake that is as tasty as pizza, (Just kidding, nothing is as tasty as pizza.) I want a cupcake that tells a story, I want a cupcake that will lead me to glory! I want a cupcake that is really neat. All this talk about cupcakes Is making me hungry for something sweet, Where are you, cupcake? I WANT TO EAT!