This poem haunts me in ways I can only half describe.  For instance, I love the image of the lost dog “playing in the volcano /  with her friends / throwing pieces of candy.”  That line seems like the perfect way to approach the whole tone of the poem: On the one hand, the dog is lost—maybe even dead—and playing in the dangerous space of the volcano.  On the other hand, the dog is with friends and tossing around candy. The whole poem pivots in this way between sadness and beauty–between longing and its subtleties.  By the time you arrive at those stunning closing lines—”I will become like a fish. / I know very well that I will.” —you have been on a journey through loss alongside its strange, disquieting partner: hope.

—Sasha West, poet and Badgerdog’s Director of Development

Perros abandonados
(Balada de la gran tormenta)

—inspirado por “Iglesia abandonada (Balada de la gran guerra)” de Federico García Lorca

Yo tenía una perra que se llamaba Cloe.
Yo tenía una perra.
Se perdió con los muertos.
La vi jugando en el volcán
con sus amigas
echando pedazos de dulces.
Cuando la perdí, pensé,
¡Mi perra! ¡Mi perra! ¡Mi perra!
Yo tenía un perro
y comprendí que estaba sólo
en la cueva.
Yo tenía una perra y un perro.
Yo tenía los dos desde que nacieron.
No tenía bastante para cuidarlos en mi pobre casa. ¡Ay, mis perros!
Yo los amaba con todo mi pobre corazón.
Yo tenía una perra y un perro que eran bailarines,
pero sin ellos me muero.
Si me muero, estará pronto.
Yo no los dejo,
ni siquiera para salir de la casa.
¡Si mis perros hubieran estado locos!
Me volveré como un pez.
Yo sé muy bien que lo haré.

Abandoned Dogs
(Ballad of the Great Storm)

—after Federico García Lorca’s “Rundown Church (Ballad of the First World War)”

I had a dog and her name was Chloe.
I had a dog.
She disappeared with the dead people.
I saw her playing in the volcano
with her friends
throwing pieces of candy.
When I lost her, I thought,
My dog! My dog! My dog!
I had another dog
and I understood that he was alone
in the cave.
I had two dogs.
I had them since they were born.
I had too little to take care of them in my poor house.
Oh, my dogs!
I loved them with all of my poor heart.
I had two dogs who were ballet dancers,
but without them I will die.
If I die, it will be soon.
I won’t leave them,
not even to leave the house.
If my dogs had only been crazy!
I will become like a fish.
I know very well that

Areli, fourth grade, Ms. Rodriguez’s class, Perez Elementary School

*This beautiful poem, and so many more, are included in Rise, our newest anthology of elementary school writing.

Have you ever heard the saying, “A poem a day keeps the doctor away?” I heard it during my first year of studying English literature at St. Edward’s University. At first, I thought it was a clever ploy created by professors to keep English students motivated. Yet I soon came to realize that this little saying is actually true. The days when I had to study tremendous amounts of poetry were some of the best days of my undergraduate career. For me, reading poetry soothed my anxiety and allowed me to appreciate the little things. This morning, I was reminded of why this saying is so particularly true in my life. I came into the Badgerdog office drunk with sleep and rather unmotivated. One of the first things I did was read some of the poetry from the newly published Rise and Emerge books. Lo and behold, I felt instantly better. The poetry published in these two books is utterly amazing; it transported me to fond memories of reading work from Wordsworth, Frost, and Keats (my personal favorite). Yet the best part of reading this poetry was not that it was able to transport me to a distant memory, but rather that it was able to make me laugh, to make me cry, and to inspire me.

Here are two poems that truly caught my attention this morning. The first one comes from Ashley, a student at Martin Middle School, whose poem “A Picture” is published in Emerge: Youth Voices in Ink, Spring 2012. One of the main reasons why I love this poem is because the images are so uniquely powerful. Each sentence made my brain search uncomfortably and desperately for the meaning. I think any poem that requires you to think and leaves you speechless (as this one did for me), is a true masterpiece.

A Picture

Her picture was a smile,
this whispered like a thing
I was. That night was
reality, imagination was the
girl, and glowing through
a closed room. The only complete
mental hand, what’s your fact?
Not anyone else. He rips me
before I can stop him. I’m
a tear in his hands, a picture.
This is us.

Ashley, Martin Middle School

The second poem I loved this morning comes from Ebony, a fourth grader at Bluebonnet Trail Elementary, whose poem “Love Poem for Juan (Who Died)” is published in Rise: Youth Voices in Ink, Spring 2012. Her poem is powerful and has a pleasant rhythm to it that makes it memorable. Ebony reminds us to cherish the happy moments we share with people, even if they have already passed.

Love Poem for Juan (Who Died)

To the dead, who I never touched,
I have really loved you ever since you died.
For Hector, I have been brave
and not cried over your grave.
I remember all the things you did for people
even though I was just a baby,
even though I was just a baby,
I remember what you did for me—
how you took me to the park,
how you bough me cute baby clothes,
and best of all, how you played with me!

Ebony, fourth grade, Bluebonnet Trail Elementary School

—Nicole, intern, Badgerdog Literary Publishing

TGIF! In celebration of National Poetry Month, here’s a poem by Ashton, a fourth grader in Ms. Rich’s class at Pioneer Crossing Elementary. Ashton writes a powerful and brilliant poem that tackles the difficult subject of losing a parent.

Parent Leaving

It will
be hard for
your parent to
leave. It will
take you a
long time to
see them.
You won’t see
them every
day. So that
is why I
think they
should stay
with their
families and so
that is why
it is not
fair that
they should
leave their
families and
they will not
do something
to let
them leave
all the
time.

 Ashton, fourth grade, Pioneer Crossing Elementary School

In celebration of National Poetry Month, which is closely coming to an end, here is a wonderful poem by Edwin, a fourth grader in Mr. Yniguez’s class at Winn Elementary. Edwin dreams of being something else—a puppy, an elephant, a car—yet he accepts his reality, knowing  that all he will ever be is something which is  ”made of bone.”

My Dreams

I’m touching
clouds, they’re blue and my
hand is made of bone
because the acid from the
cloud burned me. I’m
a restless boy. I’m
a puppy. My hand is still
made of bone. I’m
an elephant. My hand
is still made of bone.
I’m a car. It’s difficult
to be a car, I tell you all.
Why? OK, I’ll tell you all why—
because I have three tires
and my hand of bone.

Edwin, fourth grade, Winn Elementary School

We have a short, yet sweet poem for you today in continuation of our celebration of National Poetry Month! Lindy is a fifth grader in Badgerdog instructor Alex Almeida’s workshop at Baty Elementary, and writes about singing a song that fulfills your heart’s desires.

Song

Some said koalas could not sing
You can sing what your heart says.
Let your feelings tell your song.
Don’t let people tell you how it goes.

Lindy, fifth grade, Baty Elementary School

In celebration of National Poetry Month, here’s a poem by Owen, a fourth grader in Ms. Rodriguez’s class at Blackshear Elementary. Owen’s poem reminds us of some modernist literature—as he focuses on a feeling of alienation, despite being in a world full of people. He is acutely aware of his surroundings, highlighting details  that are normally overlooked.

The Day I Was Alone

The color of the sand is green, white, and red.
The texture is rough as a shell.
It is shaped like a football field,
as big as New York City,
as tall as the biggest building in the world.
And the thing that says not to pass
to the rock and sand
is cold.
This place feels cold and scary.
And the cars look lonely and haunted.
The light, if you touch it, feels
hot, and it will burn you to death.

Owen, fourth grade, Blackshear Elementary School

Happy Monday! Here’s another poem in celebration of National Poetry Month. This poem was written by Carlos, a fourth grader in Ms. Esbrand’s class at Oak Springs Elementary. Carlos paints a picture for us in his poem—one with a vast array of colors and images that are uniquely beautiful and chilling at the same time.

This Is a Sun

With red fire around it
and a red blanket
and a yellow pillow
and an orange ground.
it is like a smooth bed
but it is not blue.
This is a house
wood, brown, smooth, big wall
glass, clear, smooth, big as a door
chair, tan, smooth, small as a kid
couch, brown, soft.
This is a house
it feels safe
it will change by being dark, trash
everywhere, broken windows, table
broken in half.

Carlos, fourth grade, Oak Springs Elementary School

Here’s another poem to celebrate National Poetry Month. This poem was written by David, a fourth grader from Ms. Fuenzalida’s class at J. J. Pickle Elementary. David was inspired by Digital River, a piece from El Anatsui’s exhibition at the Blanton Museum last fall.

Black River by El Anatsui

Untitled

The foot of a dinosaur and the tail of a serpent can be seen in the place where flowers are planted.
A boat, small enough for a rat, appears.
Or a train, passes the rats in the place where small animals live and swim.
It’s like a beach, full of sand, surrounding the water.

David, fourth grade, J. J. Pickle Elementary School

Happy Friday! In celebration of National Poetry Month, here’s another wonderful poem! This poem, which is untitled, was written by Janelle, a fourth grader in Ms. Becker’s class at J. J. Pickle Elementary. Janelle dreams of soaring through the sky, with airplanes and butterflies, until she reaches what she loves most—freedom.

Untitled

I will go to the sky to touch the clouds
because I always wish to touch the clouds,
and I will go to space and meet the aliens,
and this is called a passage.
So I will fly until I meet Paris and Tokyo
and I will go with the airplane
and the butterfly.
I always wish to fly on an airplane and a butterfly.
If I fly with them I will go to freedom,
because I like to go to freedom.

Janelle, fourth grade, J. J. Pickle Elementary School

To continue our celebration of National Poetry Month, here is another poem that was inspired by the El Anatsui exhibit at the Blanton Museum last fall.  Tom, a fourth grader from Ms. McVey’s class at T. A. Brown Elementary, was inspired by the beautiful wall sculpture Sacred Moon, which is made out of wood and metal fragments.

El Anatsui's Sacred Moon

Untitled

It is a bomb shooting
on a ship it looks
like a submarine and
a shark is attacking
it looks like a ship
going to war.

Tom, fourth grade, T.  A. Brown Elementary School