Badgerblog

Fairy tales are always liberating to a young mind—the colorful, distant lands and clear principles of valor and courage open the imagination to magical, alternative universes. But as time and age force our attention toward “real world” concerns, we lose sight of these fantastical possibilities. This week’s selection, a poem by KayCee from Del Valle High School, reminds us that the world of fairy tales is not merely a place of fiction, but that the people and places we encounter every day are just as full of wonder and romance as the imaginary kingdoms where our young imaginations so often sought escape. Congratulations KayCee for composing such an insightful poem!

Princess

Every girl’s dream is to be a princess,
A princess of a distant country,
Wishing for her prince to come rescue her.

It’s the same in high school.
Everyone wants to be the most popular,
Wants the handsome quarterback boyfriend.

But the truth is:
Being popular is not that important.
(Don’t look at me like I’m stupid!)

Not all guys are quarterbacks,
And you really are the popular princess
In the country of your friends.

KayCee, ninth grade, Del Valle High School

Burgers tend to sell themselves, but the idea of becoming a burger is a little harder to buy into (or bite into). Maria from Bluebonnet Trail Elementary, however, offers this excellent sales pitch on the perks of leaving behind your human life and moving into the realm of burger. Congratulations to Maria on her surprising and delightful piece. Maria clearly has imagination to spare!

Being a Burger

Being a burger is fun because you get to have a spirit. When someone takes his first bite of you, your spirit comes out. You can also take a bite of yourself, and the person who’s going to eat you won’t know. They won’t know because the burger is still visible to them, so when they try eating you they’ll be confused. Being a burger is also fun because you don’t have to go right back to being a burger, you can do whatever you want.

I hope if you ever get the chance to be a burger, you take it and have lots of fun.

Maria, fourth grade, Bluebonnet Trail Elementary School

Alongside last week’s aberrant snow storm, we also get those reminder days—the days with just enough sunshine and warmth to signal the coming spring (which only means summer is closer than we’d like). This week’s Badgerblog selection by Aned from Smith Elementary reminds us what’s ahead as we leave behind the rain and snow to usher in blue skies and green leaves. In this poem, Aned has populated a park with an assortment of sunbathers and fun-seekers. Her lines “The sun is so hot” and “The grass is so green” very simply capture the nostalgia for those days when the world seems almost cinematic. Congratulations to Aned on an excellent poem!

The Park

There are people in the park.

Women with skirts and their mini umbrellas,
Sailors sailing their sailboats,
Dogs and children playing,
Men laying down in the sun.

The sun is so hot.

Dogs are running around,
The children are chasing the dogs,
Picking flowers, swimming,
A lady staring at the sea.

The grass is so green.

A grandma and grandpa dancing in the park,
Tall trees the children can climb on,
Ducks in the pond,
People on their picnic blankets.

Families walking, families running.

Hats with flowers, little animals,
Children with little hats, grass in the pond,
Colorful flowers and beautiful dresses,
Children playing tag and hide-and-go-seek.

There are people in the park

Aned, third grade, Smith Elementary School

The cutting board that never lost its smell
The cast iron pans that gave my world flavor
Those rough hands that made my eggs so perfect

My dog days and scraped knees
My mud pies and dirty feet
My broken legs or future fears
She sat me down with open ears

Jared, eleventh grade, Del Valle High School

Dear Umbrella,

You are so wonderful.
Will you marry me?
You are so cute.
I know you are a girl.
You smell like a strawberry.
Your hair is so cute.
Your body smells like a jasmine flower—
A flower called jasmine.
Can you kiss me?
You are my little star.
You are so nice.
I am going to see you next time.
I am going to bring you a wonderful thing.
You are my cute girlfriend.
I know you’re my friend.

Love,
Pancakes

Jasmine, fourth grade, Barrington Elementary School

I became a butterfly who flies.
I became beautiful on a bright sea.
I became the son of someone.
I became clouds in the sky.
I became a clown in a circus.
I became a banana in a tree.
I became a monkey who likes bananas.
I became a fish in the ocean.
I became a flashlight for night.
I became paint with color.

Alondra, fourth grade, Del Valle Elementary School

A tall crying black space
flies over my head
and I do not know what to do.

Douglas, fourth grade, Hornsby-Dunlap Elementary School

Life is fun.
Sometimes life can be
a little tough.
Be happy
and nothing will go wrong.
Be happy, have fun
and be strong
Sometimes, you fall in love.
It is very romantic.
Always believe in the future.
The good things you dream
will come true if
you dream them again.
Step into a new world
with nature and everything you like.
Go somewhere you like
and have fun.

Laura, fourth grade, Hillcrest Elementary School

When I wake up I can see
The blue calm sky over my head.
I can smell the raspberry wind.
Sometimes it is chilly,
But I can grab my baby blue sweater.
After that good day,
I can have my little treat, my raspberry lollipop.

Citalli, fourth grade, Perez Elementary School

Winter is blue like when your face gets blue,
like a bluebell and a fluffy soft blanket.

Winter is white like a skull,
like white teeth, and a plain T-shirt.

Winter is gray like a teacher’s chair,
like the color of a pencil mark
and a pair of gray boots in the snow.

Austin, third grade, Smith Elementary School