Friday, November 30, 2012

Fulton Bryant's Diamante


A diamante is a seven line poem, shaped like a diamond. It is a poem of oppositions which works toward the middle. In Biblical prose a similar structure is called chiastic.  




Diamante

Start
Fast, Fresh
Running, Driving, Racing
Alpha, Stamina, Sweat, Omega
Coming, Tiring, Cramping
Slow, Breathless
Finish



                                                       -- Fulton Bryant, grade 6



See another diamante here.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Sunset Crowns the Day





When all the world is turned to gold,

More glorious than all that of kings of old,

When the sun dons its colors royal,

And demands that the earth be loyal,

So that all may turn to dark.

she sleeps with clouds as mattress soft,

in the heavenly, dark, deep loft.

The sunset rules anew each day,

Crowning all else in a marvelous way.

I sing the song of the sunset!

The Lord gave man the jewels of earth,

To beautify the soil that gives it worth.

But the lady in the heavens needs no stones,

She has no body, breath or bones.

Her thoughts are not like earth’s.

Only the wind, that brushes the cheek;

Tears of rain touching mountain peak.

Yet her raiment surpasses ours,

It becomes different through change of hours.

She crowns the day and begins the night.

In the morning she is pale,

With gentle breaths of wind that sail.

In the noon she turns to white,

Hot and harmful to our sight.

The Lord has given her a crown.

But in the evening, she turns into a queen,

With purple raiment, like none we have seen.

With gold as her crown,

While she slowly sinks down,

Gracefully as if in dance.

She sinks into her pillow of cloud,

That is neither rough nor loud.

She folds herself in velvet sleep,

And leaves the moon its watch to keep.

So the sun ends the day.

And as we watch the moon take flight,

To give us still a little sight,

We sink upon our bended knees,

And thanks the Lord for all of these;

His glorious creations.


--Chandler Hamby



Monday, November 12, 2012

A Pantoum: Masking My Face



The mask upon my face


I wear a mask upon my face
I never cry nor smile
I never show emotion
It hurts too much

I never cry nor smile
I wear an eternal facade
It hurts so much
I need to stop

I wear an eternal facade
I bottle my emotions
I need to stop
I don’t know how

I bottle my emotions
I want to ask for help but
I don’t know how
Weakness hurts me

I want to ask for help but
I don’t want to look weak
Weakness hurts me
I don’t like pain

I don’t want to look weak
So I push the pain inside
I don’t like pain
But I know no other way

So I push the pain inside
I wear a mask upon my face
I know no other way
It hurts so much

I wear a mask upon my face
Forever there it stays
It hurts so much
But I push aside the pain

And forever there it stays
This mask upon my face
And as I push aside the pain
It loosens every day

This mask upon my face
I don’t want it to remain
It loosens every day
And I cry

I don’t want it to remain
It’s hurting so bad
And so I cry
I’m starting to change

It’s hurting so bad
I can’t keep up this charade
I’m starting to change
And so I throw the mask away

I’ve given up this charade
I wear my heart upon my sleeve
I’ve thrown my mask away
I will never be the same


--Ethan Seevers