When I first heard about nature I almost peed my pants

WHEN I FIRSTHEARD ABOUT

NATURE I ALMOST PEED MY PANTS.

POEMS by Second Story Students

Copyright © 2012 by each author.Editing and book design by Wendy Lee SpacekCover art by Ariel, Holy CrossEnd Papers by Cheyenne, Holy Cross

About the Program:In the spring of 2012, Second Story brought teaching artists Benjamin Bernthal, Andy Fry, Sunni Harford, Mike Potter, Bret Robinson, Callie McGaughey Smith, Wendy Lee Spacek, and Jenny Walton to after-school programs in three Indianapolis schools: St. Philip Neri, Central Catholic and Holy Cross. The writing and art in this book resulted from prompts and lessons created by Second Story and its teaching artists. All students are 3rd to 5th graders unlessotherwise noted.

About Second Story: Second Story is an Indianapolis-based non-profit writing organization that serves kids, schools, and community organizations. Its programs include in-class writing instruction at local schools, as well as after-school tutoring, creative writing workshops, and literacy events.

Find out more at www.secondstoryindy.org.

Second Story1014 Prospect St.Indianapolis, IN 46203(317) 408-1366

HolyCross

Desarae

Horses

HorsesHorsesare brownand white orthey can be allof the colorsbecause I like allhorses.Horseshorsesare socool forme Ilove horsesI can ridehorsesbecausethey areso kind to peopleand so cuteto peoplethey can run withyou I lovehorses Ican’t believe that we havehorses.Horseshorses

Jayda

FeathersFeathers,they help birds fly.Taste like cotton soundslike wind feels as softas pillows on a bed whenyou wake up smells likevanilla looks like a tinyleaf they gave me hiccups in 2nd grade they make mefeel loopy they remind me of branches on a tree.

Abby

Broken GlassBroken glass is a once whole object shattered into a million pieces.Broken glass has a pointy feeling with the smell ofa funeral home it tastes, well, I don’t know what it tastes like because I’m not an idiot.

Broken glass reminds me of the time my friend though this big cube of glass wasplastic and threw it onto the cement.

Broken glass makes me feel curiousto know why I’m staring at broken glass.Broken glass reminds me of my abuelitospozole. Awesome.

Natalia

Abby

RainbowsRainbows are so colorfulthey make me feel like a horse.They look like sunsets.

When I saw you, you were beautiful.You make me feel like I am the color of a rainbow.You remind me of a beautiful sunset.

Desarae

Cheyenne

Justin Beiber

is famous and he tastes like ribs.He feels like forest and he smellslike fingernail polish remover hesounds like a beautiful whale I saw him on youtube he makesme feel like I am flying hereminds me of a longing.

Jahalha

Grace

Cookie Monster

looks like a monster, a friendly onesounds like a cookie crumb fallingfrom his mouth he makes me feellike I’m in my little world.Smells like butterfly cookies.The smell of cookie will be thememory. Reminds me of my favorite color.

Grace

My Life

I was born on June 29th, 2001.We lived in a tower, but not that big.Then we moved to a blue house. I go to school.

I take pills. I never got held back. I’m in5th grade. I still live in the blue houseand I have my own room. I remember

when I had a glow in the dark dinosaur, it’sbroken now. It was colorful & it glowed.It was a Brontosaurus.

Alex

Tyler

Julia

My LifeI was born December 14th, 1999. My mom was 24 years young. My dad was 29 years young. I came out head first.

When I was 3 years old I learned how to ride a bike. At 5 years I learned how to swim. My grandma Denise Bennett taught me.

At the age of 8 I had the best Christmas ever! We went to Kentucky. Next week I’m going again to see my Aunty Kim. 2 years after that my sister was born.

At 19 months old I learned how to walk. My dad’s friend Harry taught me how to walk. At 2 I learned to talk. In Kindergarten I learned to multiply my ones.

Not much but it was hard at 5, and I learned how to read in Pre-K. I attend Holy Cross now.And School 78 in first. And in Kindergarten I went to my church. And that’s how my life went. By the way my name is Zoee.

Zoee

Nature

Nature, nature.Nature is a beautiful thing.

Clean, air, grassy.When I first heard about it I almost peed my pants.

It reminds me of goodness.

Alex

Ben

I see a tree

and rain drops. I think this picture was taken in a rain forest.

Rain drops are falling from the clouds. The rain drops are coming from the clouds.

The tree feels SO-SO good it grows, the people that take the pictures showed other people the picture.

Looks SO-SO pretty. I want to take a picture.

Rain drops fall from the sky, gives water to the tree.

Ariel

Alexis

Brown Eyes

are as beautiful as my hazel eyes can see.Brown eyes may taste like brown lines, smell like fresh breads and feel like nasty sushi, and sound like my mom.

These gorgeous eyes bring me back a memory ofdark and chocolate brown cookies that smell delicious.

The feeling of seeing brown eyes makes me feel beautiful inside. It reminds me of all those great days I’ve had whenI was little.

Kara

Chad

Jesus

is God’s son. Jesustastes like flowers. Jesussounds like birds. Jesusfeels happy. Jesus smellslike men’s cologne. Jesuslooks sad. Jesus makes me feel happy. Jesusreminds me of birds.

Shakiya

CentralCatholic

Carlos

Skittles Girl

There once was a girl who did an experiment with skittles. It was tempting to drink and she did. When she drank that she then had powers of lasers, sweetness, and freedom. Then there was a boy who just ate too many Reese’s. He turned into a Reese’s boy. They never got along. They just had too many Skittles and Reese’s. They lived in a mall in the year 3001. They lived right next to each other. Skittles does not like the way Reese’s boy lives. Reese’s loves the way Skittles Girl lives. So Reese’s boy asks Skittles girl if she will marry him. And they got married and had a Reese’s Skittles girl. But they lived happily every after!!!!!!!!!!!

Celia

Yoselin

Swimming

is movingin water.It sounds loud fromthe water and thekids.It smells like clorox.It tastes like dirt.Swimming feels like going on a long slide.Last summer I went swimming at GarfieldPark I was scared in the big slide.Swimming reminds me about sunscreen.

Paulina

Andre'a

Chelsea

A Mustang

is my dreamcar.

Yellow with black stripes.I saw it at “IMax”.

I felt extremely happy.It reminds me of a horse.

Alex

Rain

makes me feel like the water playground at Holiday World.

Something wet that falls from the sky when a cloud gets angry.

It makes me feel wet andit is fun.It sounds like splash splash.It tastes like yummy lightningturned into water.It makes dogs smell stinky.

Last weekend on Friday it wasraining while I ate green eggsand ham.

Andre'a

Harlan

Cotton Candy

Different color cotton candy it meltswhen you put it in your mouth.It’s soft it smells so sweet feelssoft sometimes or feels sticky whenyou eat it some how makes a crunchysound sometimes it will make me feelenergy full and I remember when I wentto chuckie cheese once I remember that wasthe first time I ate cotton candy.

Mariana

Robert

Lazarus

Transformers

are robots that transform into cars, truckspickups, vansmachine cars, tanksships, world computer, phonepolice car, fire truckmotorcycle, trainjet, airplanecamera, animal ambulance.

They taste horribleoil, gas, smoke.Bomb, stomp, crash, family action.

Strong scared.Justice, victory.transformers.

Gerardo

Jungles

are fun nice and quiet. It feelsrough smells wetand tastes like mud.

I remember walkingthrough the jungle.

It makes me happy. It reminds me of sleeping in the grassin mid July.

Kendyll

Araceli

Dogs and Cats in Bubbles

Dogs and cats in stuff can be cutebut in bubbles is more cuter becauseit can be like that in pet stores!

It sounds cute. (Not that much.)

I beg, beg, beg, beg, beg for a dog, butI think about cats instead.

I want a dog for my birthday so bad…It blows up my mind.It makes me feel happy!

Of a chinchilla that reminds me-(Hint: Good mood food maybe).Dogs and cats in bubbles.

Terrell

Terrell

My LifeI was born in 1991. Soon after a few minutes later I heard voices.After a while I felt the doctorsarms. A year later I could walk.Even though I could floatfirst. At five I started singingabout stars, bears, and farms.I was six and already knewwhat a sword looked like. NowI am swimming in clear,cool, pool water.

Sarah

St. Philip Neri

My Life

When I was born it smelled like perfume in the room. I touch toys, bottles, people, pets and food. I taste all kinds of food that I have to eat. I heard people talking and all kinds of stuff that I heard. I saw books, toys, makeup, clothes, people, and all of the stuff in the world. When I grow up I smelled of all kinds of things. I saw teachers because I had to go to school. And I taste a lot of candy, milk and school food. When I was in school I touch books, paper, pencils, and table, and desk. I heard teacher talking, talking to students in schools. When I went home I touch my dog and my computer and my family. Dishes, food. I touch my clothes, my shoes, doors.

Victoria

Alondra

TitanicTitanic, TitanicFull of peace and memoriesIt is big as a little townSmells like sea and fresh waterMy memory about the Titanic isthat Rose and Jack lovedeach other till the end.

Alondra

Clariza

The MoonThe moon got locked up in a rainbow. And the moon tried to get out. But the lock was too strong and said “Don’t touch this.” (Da na na na … )

The flower did a magic trick to make a shooting star appear and so the moon made a wish to escape. But the flower made a mistake and instead a big hand appeared with a key to unlock the lock.

And then the moon said to the flower “Thank you my friend!” The flower said “that’s what I do”.

Roselinda

MomMom, Mom.You look like the sun.You’re full of kindness andbright at night your clothessmell like Gain and Febreze.You always smile and never bedenile. You make me feel like I’min heaven and you never bemean. You remind me of white rosesbecause you are clean from the heart.Mom, mom.I love you.

Clariza

Citlalli

My LifeI was born in Chicago. And I was born inAugust 29, 2001. In Christmas I got a bigbarbie and I touched it and played with it.It looked like she had high heels andhad a beautiful dress its color waspink. And I had five dogs one was grayanother was brown, white and another brown.And I had fun with them.

Alejandra

Michael

The ForestThe forest is wet. The rain isimportant to flowers and trees.It sounds like when we havea bath. It smells like flowers.It tastes like salty water.It makes me feel likewhen I take a bath.

Perla

Victoria

The Pink Animal from the OceanIt tastes salty.Its name is Pink Animal.It makes you feel happy!It would make you happy because it is bright. Italso is pink. My favoritecolor! I think it wouldhurt if you touch it becauseit has some crazy spikes.The color can make youhappy but it can hurt you!

Nichelle