• At AISD’s Barrington Elementary, the entire third grade participated in three workshops led by two of our talented writers—Debbie Gonzalez and Jena Gessaman. These were “bite-sized” workshops designed to introduce students to the ways of poetry and storytelling. To celebrate these young writers’ introduction into the world of writing, we’d like to share with you selections from Barrington’s third-grade community. Congratulations on all of your hard work, vivid imaginations, and gorgeous words!

    North Carolina

    An airplane is bright.
    It is red. It is gray on the bottom.
    It has drawings on its wings.
    It stops to get gas and goes back to the airport.
    It picks up some people,
    and leaves them in North Carolina.

    Ariana G.

    Candy Land

    Me and my spider went to Candy Land for a party. We had to get stuff, but he was shouting all over. I was so mad. Then Cookie Monster took my cookie, and he put it in a glass of milk.

    When there was a piece left, I shot a web to get it, but Cookie Monster got it. Then he got his web and used it to clean his teeth.

    We decided to go to his house. We knocked. When he opened the door, he said, “I’m Cookie Monster.” We screamed and we ran. Then we went flying like Spider-Man and saved Elmo.

    Tony B.

    Snake School

    A snake goes to snake school. It slithers, and it’s sneaky. His name is Roy, and nobody wants to be his friend, but he is smart and special. But when he gets home, he stinks because of the sandwiches he eats, so his mom gets mad. He says he’s sorry. The next morning, he’s sticky, so he screams. He says he is going to take a shower. He goes to school, and he meets a girl. She says he is sassy, so he likes her.

    Ronald M.

    Barnyard

    —an exerpt

    There is a house named Alicia. She is new to the barn. This pig named Piglet welcomed Alicia. Piglet told Alicia to come in and meet her friends. They were all pigs. One was named Piggy, one was named Dritpig, and one was named Scary Pig. They were pink, and three more were black and white.

    Delilah R.

    Harry

    His name is Harry.
    He has skills.
    He is a snake.
    Inside, he is cold.
    He has nowhere to go.
    We need to save him.
    He screams at night.
    He stays up all night.
    He is sleeping.

    Stephen T.

    Good Day

    —an excerpt

    I was fighting with my shark, and I bit him. He was crying, and I went to another sea. A shark was sleeping, and when he woke up he said hello to me. He was ten thousand years old. His name was Adventuro.

    Ruth M.

    Elephant and Snake

    Snake was playing around with his friends, but then his friend Elephant became very big. He was almost going to squish his friend Snake. Elephant didn’t like Snake, so Snake turned into an anaconda. He was bigger than Elephant, so Elephant became his friend. They played soccer together again, but Snake was angry.

    Alexandro C.

    The Giant Q-tip

    There was a giant man, and he got a Q-tip to clean his ears. The Q-tip was orange, and it was stuck in his ear. He went to the doctor, and I came and helped the giant get the Q-tip out. He made me rich, and the newspaper took a picture. I was famous on Jupiter and Earth.

    Ivan B.

    Hawaii

    One day, I was home, and my dad said, “Do you want to go to Hawaii?” I said yes, and we went out on a boat. We were going to have fun.

    The boat took us to a beach. We were swimming in the water, and when we saw it was night, we went to sleep in a hotel. The next day, we woke up, and we had breakfast. We went to the beach to have fun. We did something else—we went looking for shells. But we did not see any shells, so we decided to recycle the beach.

    When we were half finished, we saw a mirror, and we saw a dead turtle, and we were almost done. We saw a lost puppy, and when I asked my dad if we could keep him, he said yes. “As long as he doesn’t have an owner.”

    We went back to the boat. We were going to leave. We saw a shell, and I told my dad, “Dad, Dad, I found a shell.” Then we went back home.

    Cesar S.

    Night Snake

    Night snake, night snake
    What can you see?
    A dog looking at me?

    Night snake, night snake
    What else can you see?
    I see something
    trying to push me.

    So the night snake
    jumped out of the water
    and bit the tiger
    on the neck.

    Ashton H.

    Snake Bite

    One day, I went to the forest to see animals. First, I saw a snake. I was a little scared because I thought the snake was going to bite me. The snake was small and sliding. My mom was so scared. I told her to not be scared because when you are scared you are attracting the snake to bite you. My mom wasn’t scared anymore because she didn’t know that. You shouldn’t be scared because a snake will bite you.

    Mane R.

    Cartoon’s Teeth

    —an exerpt

    One day, an old man went to Target to buy some teeth because he had been fighting, and all of his teeth had fallen out. He bought some teeth, and they were so nasty that if you looked at them, you would almost throw up. When he would go to sleep, he would take the teeth out and put them in a cup with water.

    Christian P.

    What’s Adventure?

    Have you ever wondered, what’s adventure? Well, adventure is when you go places that are dazzling, dangerous, or sad, but you have the time of your life and you meet new people. Sometimes there’s someone or something that tries to hold you back, but there’s always a tricky part, so don’t get fooled.

    April P.

    Vampire Butterflies

    One day, I went outside. I saw a bunch of butterflies stuck together. They were chasing a dog, and I got a net and got all the butterflies and took them in my house.

    I cleaned them, and there was one thing I did not know—they like to suck blood—so I ran into my room, and there was a butterfly. It bit me, and I turned into a zombie. A cop took me to the station and arrested me. I was still not all zombie, so I went to a friend for help. Then I went home and went to sleep.

    Sixty months later, I woke up, and I was human. My mom told me I was dreaming, but it was all true. Eighteen years later, more butterflies came, but they didn’t do anything.

    Jesus M.

    Snake Shake

    Snake, snake, snake
    Bite, bite, bite
    Go around and shake, shake, shake

    Snake, snake, snake
    Bite, bite, bite
    Don’t fight, fight, fight

    Snake, snake, snake
    Shake, shake, shake,
    Front step, back step
    Skate, skate, skate

    Snake, snake, snake
    Skate, skate, skate
    Go around the pool
    And shake, shake, shake.

    Michelle H.

    Baseball Eraser

    One day, there was a baseball game. I was so excited because it was my first baseball game. We got to Yankee Stadium, and the stadium was filled with people. The game was about to begin, but instead of playing with hard baseballs, they played with fake balls. Their balls were erasers. It was funny to see them not catch or hit the ball, but after seeing my team doing none of those things, it wasn’t fun anymore. At the end of the game, it was tied zero to zero. It was boring and funny at the same time.

    Christian S.

    The Orange Said

    There was an orange. It said:
    Come bomb
    ..Come
    ….Come, bomb
    ……Come, come
    ……..Bomb
    ……….Come, come
    …………Bomb
    …………..Come
    …………….Come, bomb
    ………………Come, come
    ………………..Bomb come
    ………………….Come bomb
    ……………………Come, come bomb
    ……………………..Come, come, come
    ……………………….Bomb.

    Kenia D.

    The Good Cowboy

    Once upon a time, there was an orange horse. The horse had a cowboy on top of him. The cowboy was riding the horse, but when the horse was tired, the cowboy put the horse back in his house.

    The cowboy was talking with someone mean. They said they wanted to kill the horse. The horse was so scared of what he heard that he wanted to run away, so he hid under a rock.

    All the cowboys went to get their horses. The horse was so hungry. He smelled food from a good cowboy’s pocket. That cowboy was a good person. The good cowboy trained the horse really well so he ride the horse.

    Giovanni A.

    Snake in the Street

    There was a snake in the street, and it was big. The snake was sick. The snake was still alive because he was strong. He was smart enough not to go into the street anymore.

    The snake was three feet long, and it was tough. But one time, he wasn’t smart, and food was in the street. The snake went to get the food, and he got run over by a car, but he was OK because he was tough and long.

    Jhony J.

    Elmo Slide

    Elmo, Elmo, slide, slide
    Elmo, Elmo, slide, slide
    Elmo, Elmo, slide your pals around Sesame Street.

    People, people, wake up early so you
    can see Elmo sliding.
    Elmo, Elmo, slide, slide
    so you can even entertain adults.

    Elmo, Elmo, slide, slide.
    Elmo, Elmo, slide, slide
    so your fan Christian S. can see you
    all the way in Miami.

    Elmo, Elmo, slide, slide
    Elmo, Elmo, slide, slide

    Anthony A.

    Letter S

    Slugger sliding shivering soccer
    small submarine summer
    slide straight snoring
    snake sneezing singing
    student soft squid slimy
    stand sticky
    stuffed strong sun
    school squish shoes skipping
    smart spiky sick
    save shampoo service serious
    slim shape sleep slide skate
    sour sling
    same Sanchez
    sixes sevens

    Brany M.

    McKinney Falls State Park

    First, we talked about the rules. There was one very, very important rule, and it was to have fun.

    We were the first class to go with the guide. He showed us a kind of bird called a cardinal. This bird doesn’t flap its wings. It uses hot air to fly, and its color is red.

    I’m going to tell you the names of the birds—grackles, humming birds, turkey vultures, doves, hawks, and crows.

    The guide told me that a clock could be in a tree with a bird. If a bird is in the top of the tree, it’s at twelve-o’clock, and if it is at the bottom of the tree it’s at six-o’clock. Right is three-o’clock, and left is nine-o’clock.

    Then the guide showed us a waterfall. He showed us all around. We did some activities and walked around again and left. It was the best time of my life.

    Julissa M.

    Mariposa

    Yo me moví de casa. Cuando fui afuera, encontré un juguete que era una mariposa. Siempre la llevo conmigo en la escuela y yo juego con la mariposa mucho. Cuando se me abre las alas, estoy feliz. Nunca voy a separarme de ella.

    Butterfly

    I moved from my house. When I went outside, I found a toy. It was a butterfly. I always carry it with me to school, and I play with the butterfly a lot. When it opens its wings for me, I am happy. I’m never going to be apart from it.

    Yaneli G.

    Juan Corona y Su Barco

    Juan Corona iba en su barco. Luego de repente el barco se estaba moviéndose bien rápido. Luego se aventó Juan al agua y vio la isla desaparecer. Pero el barco no se hundió sino que unos monstruos lo estaban comiendo. Juan tenia mucho miedo y mando un mensaje a rescate.

    Juan Corona and His Boat

    Juan Corona was leaving in his boat. Suddenly, the boat was moving very rapidly. Then, Juan threw himself into the water, and he saw the island. But the boat did not sink. Rather, some monsters were eating it. Juan was very scared and so he sent a message to be rescued.

    Jose R.

    Culebras Salvan al Mundo

    Las culebras les tienen miedo a los monstruos.
    Los monstruos están feos.
    Las culebras suben a los árboles.
    Se vuelven superhéroes,
    Y salvan al mundo.
    Se van a la luna con la gente,
    Y la gente esta a salvo.

    Snakes Save the World

    The snakes are afraid of the monsters.
    The monsters are ugly.
    The snakes climb the trees.
    They become superheroes,
    And save the world.
    They go to the moon with the people,
    And the people are safe.

    Brayan G.

    El Serpiente y el Alíen

    Una serpiente esta peleando con un alíen
    en una isla de tiburones.
    Luego van al espacio a pelear en Marte.
    Donde hay tormentas y tornados y huracanes.
    Hay toda clase de tormenta en Marte.

    The Snake and the Alien

    A snake is fighting with an alien
    in an island of sharks.
    Then, they go to space to fight on Mars.
    Where there are storms and tornadoes and hurricanes.
    There is every kind of storm on Mars.

    Vanessa G.

    The Snake

    The snake went to the store to buy some snow. It was on sale. It ate some snow and stopped because he was full. He was strong because he ate some snow. He was six years old.

    Sinthia B.

    The Snake

    The snake likes the sun.
    The snake is six years old.
    The snake likes the star.
    The snake likes stinky shoes.
    The snake likes spiders.
    The snake is strong.
    The snake likes spring.
    The snake likes the store.

    Esmeralda J.

    Like

    I like to sing.
    My snake is strong.
    I like to train my snake.
    My snake likes spiders.
    My snake likes snow.
    My snake likes to snap.
    My snake likes to slap people.
    I like my snake because he’s skinny.

    Juan G.

    Great Space Battle

    One night, I was outside. I looked at a plane coming my way. It was an alien. It was taking me to space. It was my friend. I was on a mission to destroy the chip of the bad alien. Two days later, the battle was over. One hundred people died, but we won, and the alien took me home. To be continued . . .

    Javier A.

    How It Is

    The star is pretty.
    The store is big.
    I am a super girl.
    The restrooms are stinky.
    My shoes are blue.
    Her last name is Santiago.
    Spanish is easy.
    The spider is bad.
    The sun is hot.
    The stop sign is red.
    A girl named Sinthia is little.
    Science is fun.
    The seasons are winter, spring, fall, and summer.

    Daniela A.

    The Orange

    The orange is delicious, and it has a lot of juice inside when you open it. The color of the orange is orange, and it’s so good when you taste it. You can put salt and salsa on the orange. It will taste good with salt and salsa. Oranges are like my friends.

    Jose S.

    A Diamante

    Cat
    Cute, Lovely
    Lazy, Crazy, Meowing
    Kitty, Lion, Hot-dog, Puppy
    Crazy, Goofy, Silly
    Mean, Bark
    Dog

    Karyme A.

    I Am

    I am awesome, beautiful,
    ……..cute, adorable, friendly,
    …………….a girl, happy, incredible,
    ……………………a princess, a queen, a rose,
    …………………………..sweet . . . I am Katherine!

    Katherine L.

    A Diamante

    Bird
    Green, Red
    Pecking, Chirping, Flying
    Owl, Parakeet, Shark, Minnow
    Swimming, Eating, Watching
    Lazy, Fast
    Fish

    Samantha M.

    Diamante

    Bird
    Blue, Feathery
    Flying, Jumping, Eating
    Robin, Cardinal, Lion, Tiger
    Running, Climbing, Growling
    Silly, Cute
    Cat

    Jennifer P.

    Doctors

    Doctors help keep people from dying. Doctors tell people what to do when they get sick. Being a doctor is an important job. Doctors do surgery to help people so they won’t die. I want to be a doctor when I grow up.

    Jesse L.

    Scary Movies

    The thing I know about scary movies is that they are terrifying. Do not let little kids watch them. Some kids even have scary dreams. The movies sometimes have blood in them. Scary movies are for adults, but kids like me still want to watch them. When some kids watch scary movies at night, they want the light on so they won’t get scared.

    Vanessa A.

    What I Know About Chocolate

    I know chocolate is brown.
    I know it tastes good.
    I know it is not healthy.
    But I still like it.
    It doesn’t matter if it is healthy or not.

    Clara M.

    Diamante

    Dog
    Fast, Cute
    Digging, Barking, Howling
    Badgerdog, Poodle, Lion, Tiger
    Scratching, Meowing, Scaring
    Fast, Funny
    Cat

    Erik O.

    Best Teacher

    The
    Best
    Teacher
    Gonzales
    She reads us poems
    And we read to her
    She is nice
    She is
    The
    Best

    Luis T.

    My Cool Brother

    My
    cool
    brother
    makes fur balls.
    He likes to
    give me piggyback rides
    and eat snakes.
    Oscar
    is
    cool!

    Manuel L.

    My Dog

    I was so bored one day. Then my mom brought a dog home, and nothing was boring again. When we were asleep, he was in the middle of our bed. When he smells his dog food, he runs to eat it all up. During the weekend, we play with him a lot. He gets the ball every day. I love my dog a lot.

    Anita G.

    My Grandpa’s Snores

    My grandpa snores like a lion. I cannot go to bed because, when I lie down, I hear a big snore. So I go in his room and tell him to stop snoring. Every day my grandpa takes me to school, and every night I ask him to stop snoring.

    Alexis S.

    I Am

    Awesome, big a crayfish cat, dear, excellent,
    ……..a fun fox, happy, incredible, jazzy, lazy, mean, nothing,
    …………….outstanding, Pokémon, quick, ridiculous, smelly, terrible,
    ……………………an undertaker, and extra special am I!

    Ernesto C.

    I Should Have Stayed Home

    I should have stayed home today because on the way to school a turtle fell on my head. I felt like I was dead.

    Eric A.

    My Sister’s Gerbil

    My sister’s gerbil died.
    My sister’s gerbil was sometimes mad.
    My sister’s gerbil was sometime sad.
    My sister’s gerbil exploded.
    My sister’s gerbil eroded.

    Steve C.

    A Diamante

    Dragon
    Fire, Water
    Flaming, Growing, Steaming
    Dragonoid, Scales, White, Bad
    Swimming, Playing, Eating
    Dangerous, Scary
    Shark

    Julian M.

    A Diamante

    Cats
    Kitten, Lion
    Scratching, Playing, Biting
    Puma, Cheetah, Puppy, Dog
    Furry, Playing, Biting
    Pets, Hairy
    Dog

    Alicia R.

    A Diamante

    Sun
    Hot, Burn
    Playing, Talking, Eating
    Star, Bright, Light, Stars
    Snoring, Dreaming, Sleeping
    White, Dark
    Moon

    Kimberley E.

    A Diamante

    Sun
    Light, Morning
    Playing, Running, Jumping
    Light, Day, Night, Dark
    Sleeping, Snoring, Dreaming
    Round, Big
    Moon

    Abigail

    Flowers

    Flowers have different kinds of colors. They can be yellow, orange, blue, or even white. I know that flowers need the sun, water, soil, and air. I know that they have petals and nectar and honey and that they have one leaf on each side. I know that flowers have a stem that holds them so they won’t fall and die.

    Alondra S.

    Diamante

    Flower
    Purple, Blue
    Flowering, Gardening, Planting
    Bluebonnet, Violets, Oak, Elm
    Growing, Rustling, Shading
    Green, Red
    Tree

    Chantel M.

    My House

    My
    House
    Special
    Magical
    My house is a rock.
    I like my house because she talks.
    I like my house because she’s loud.
    I like my house roars.
    She is smart.
    She’s nice.
    Mom.
    Rare.

    David A.

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  • Ah, life. No one said it would be easy. But rather than belabor the point, let’s turn the discussion over to our Badgerdog writers, two of whom offer sound advice for getting through, well, existence. Congratulations to Daisy and Dominic from Ojeda Middle School for their insight and inspiration on one particularly trying topic.

    Life

    Never let life take hold.
    Make everything into a piece of art without lines.
    Don’t see what people want you to see, but what you want to.
    Be grateful for what you have.
    Don’t live life in poverty without something to fall back on.
    Listen to your heart and live a peaceful life within yourself.
    Make a happy place with trees and things that keep peace.
    Don’t be overpowered with hatred.
    Don’t cry over things that bring no use, that bring no pain but sorrow.
    Let life make a wonderful change in nature and things that surround you.
    Don’t live in fear.
    Try to find things you’ve never imagined.
    Be at peace with the world, even if it hurts.
    Don’t play games with Destiny.
    Don’t think about the things you do when you fall in love,
    Just the things you say when you care.

    Daisy, seventh grade, Ojeda Middle School

    Life

    Life should be enjoyed. You should live it to its fullest and take risks. When life knocks you down, just keep trying.

    In life, you and everyone around you will encounter obstacles. If you keep trying, you will overcome them.

    Your life should be fluid and graceful. It should flow like a river. It has currents and even whirlpools. Drama ends up as a waterfall. Excitement is a whirlpool of happiness.

    You should enjoy life. It does not last as long as you think. You can overcome an obstacle. There is always a way. Don’t give up on life, ever.

    Dominic, seventh grade, Ojeda Middle School

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  • Where would we be without adjectives? Whether we’re compelled to share a description of a good meal, the weather outside, the hardest day of our lives, or the most happy occasions, adjectives are instrumental. In celebration of the adjective, we’d like to spotlight some extraordinary writers using vivid describing words to paint complex pictures of themselves. Not only are these list poems proof of a young writer’s expanding vocabulary, but they also highlight one of the finer moments from our Community-Wide Reading event, which happened this past Saturday. At each of these reading events, our staff is delighted to hear poems and stories that represent such diverse and rich voices, experiences than run the gamut from the imaginary, to hardened memory, to those sensory experiences that invite us, briefly, into the lives of our students.

    Adjectives

    I am testy, successful, silent, pleasant,
    outrageous, magnificent, gentle, courageous,
    blessed, brainy, adventurous, great,
    nice, victorious, splendid, strong, funny,
    kind-like, good, energetic, confident,
    creative, awesome.
    I am Anna.

    Annahie, fourth grade, Del Valle Elementary School

    I Am

    I am crazy, depressed, dizzy, embarrassed, grumpy, happy, healthy, itchy, kind, lazy, lonely, lucky, nervous, nice, noisy, nosy, sad, silly, slow, strong, tired, upset, weak, young, tricky, proud. I am Jonathan.

    Jonathan, fourth grade, Del Valle Elementary School

    I Am . . .

    I am awesome, beautiful, confident,
    dog-tired, energetic, fierce, giant,
    hilarious, icy, juicy, kid-like, light,
    magnificent, new, perfect, the quickest,
    rapid, skinny, tall, upset, victorious,
    wet, yellow, zany. I am Teneshia.

    Teneshia, fourth grade, Del Valle Elementary School

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  • Writing is so often a lonely pursuit. Just you and the pen, a piece of paper, the work of putting your thoughts into phrases, the hope that what appears on the page is a true reflection of what you mean to say. But this week’s Badgerblog feature is a celebration of collaboration. In this piece from Hillcrest Elementary, four young writers begin with the first sentence from David Lodge’s Changing Places. They then passed the page, each taking a turn, crafting a sentence, and sending the piece on to another writer. The result is a story of unlikely travel, of bitter cold, outrageous speed, and shared determination.

    Two Travelers

    High, high above the North Pole, on the first day of 1969, two professors of English Literature approached each other at a combined velocity of 1200 miles per hour. They were very cold up there, and they had only ten big, warm coats, which didn’t help at all, because the men were too far above the North Pole, where it was freezing.

    There were mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, there with the two professors. They, too, were very cold, and the speed at which they were traveling made them colder. It was so cold that if they spit, their saliva would turn to ice faster than you can say, “Hi.” Yet they kept going. As they kept going, it kept getting colder and colder, but they never stopped. Never.

    Vanessa, Ciara, Jose, and Ivan, fifth grade, Hillcrest Elementary School

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  • For our Spring Holiday Poem Card Contest and in honor of Mother’s Day this Sunday, we asked our 170 Badgerdog writers to wax poetic about the women they call Mom. We received more than 120 poems celebrating the strength, wisdom, and beauty of mothers who sing songs and wash flip flops, mothers with skin so soft and eyes that shine in the sun, mothers who work too hard, and one mother, who, if she were an animal would be a cat. We selected the three poems that moved us most with their artistry, insight, and vision. You can find the first two of these in preceding posts.

    Today, we are pleased to announce the contest winner—Siearra at Del Valle Middle School, whose poem “Tiger Mama,” hits on one mother’s toughness, verve, bite, and beauty. Siearra’s poem will be distributed in restaurants across the city, so if you’re taking mom to brunch on Sunday, you may find this beautiful poem—an ode to mothers everywhere—tucked inside your check.

    Tiger Mama

    She’s like a grasshopper,
    hopping in the streets of Hynoon,
    eating the guts of insects,
    saying, “Clean your room, Siearra!”
    She’s like Air Jordans—fresh and tight.
    She’s tough as a tiger biker,
    always yelling, “Yield!” in the strangest places, like the grocery store.
    She’s the Himalayas—courageous and extraordinary, the mountain of wisdom.
    She’s always asking me, “How much do you love me, McShorty?”
    She loves the taste of dark chocolate.
    She’s like poison ivy—contagious in so many ways.

    Siearra, seventh grade, Del Valle Middle School

    Original artwork by Sarah Meraz.

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  • For our Spring Holiday Poem Card Contest and in honor of Mother’s Day this Sunday, we asked our 170 Badgerdog writers to wax poetic about the women they call Mom. We received more than 120 poems celebrating the strength, wisdom, and beauty of mothers who sing songs and wash flip flops, mothers with skin so soft and eyes that shine in the sun, mothers who work too hard, and one mother, who, if she were an animal would be a cat. We’ve selected the three poems that moved us most with their artistry, insight, and vision, and we’ll be publishing these on the Badgerblog this week. On Wednesday, we’ll announce the winning poem, which will also be distributed in restaurants across the city, so if you’re taking mom to brunch on Sunday, you may find a beautiful piece of poetry—an ode to mothers—tucked inside your check.

    Today we present one of our finalists, a poem from Adonis at Hornsby-Dunlap Elementary School. With great honesty and humor, it celebrates the unconditional love mothers wield, and stern protection that flares up when we ask for too much. Congratulations, Adonis!

    Motorcycle Mom

    My mom always sticks with me.
    I can always say I had the best birthday.
    With her smooth hands, she pats me
    ___on the back when I can’t sleep.
    I can remember her saying, “You, my son,
    ___you can be anything you want to be.”
    I asked her, “Can I be a singer?” Yes!
    “Can I own a motorcycle?”
    She looked at me. “Are you serious?
    ___Come on. You want a motorcycle?
    ___Over my dead body.”

    Adonis, third grade, Hornsby-Dunlap Elementary School

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  • For our Spring Holiday Poem Card Contest and in honor of Mother’s Day this Sunday, we asked our 170 Badgerdog writers to wax poetic about the women they call Mom. We received more than 120 poems celebrating the strength, wisdom, and beauty of mothers who sing songs and wash flip flops, mothers with skin so soft and eyes that shine in the sun, mothers who work too hard, and one mother, who, if she were an animal would be a cat. We’ve selected the three poems that moved us most with their artistry, insight, and vision, and we’ll be publishing these on the Badgerblog over the next few days. On Wednesday, we’ll announce the winning poem, which will also be distributed in restaurants across the city, so if you’re taking mom to brunch on Sunday, you may find a beautiful piece of poetry—an ode to mothers—tucked inside your check.

    Today we present one of our finalists, a poem from Luna at Del Valle Middle School. We were stunned by its depiction of a mother who seems to both obey the rules but defy expectations; she seems to even teeter on invincibility. Congratulations, Luna!

    Converse Mum

    She’s like a fly,
    Always running up and down Dearbonne Drive,
    Eating the leftover raw meat.
    You better love her.
    She loves wearing Converse.
    She’s cool, like hot rocks.
    She always stops at stop signs.
    She’s pretty as a lovely river falling over smooth pebbles.
    The way she talks makes me think she was born in the Country of Sarcasm.
    Do you love her yet?
    She loves the ripe, watery taste of watermelon.
    She is a redwood tree.

    Luna, seventh grade, Del Valle Middle School

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