Mrs. Ortega’s 5th Grade Class

Me

My Dad taught me how
to work on an engine, and
how to smell nitro
through my nose.
I can hear my Dad
going 212 m.p.h. down
the track.

by Riley Miller


Bend

My Dad and I were driving all the way to Bend.
For the one-millionth time I ask, “Are we there yet?”
Dad says, “No.”
Get there, set up.
I start climbing. I hear my Dad calling,
“Reach for the hold on the left.”
I climb and climb and climb.
I felt the blood rushing down my knee.
Smell the slight scent of dirt and mossy rocks.
I remember when we went shopping for a harness, I tried on lots.
For shoes, they fit just right.
Remember him teaching me to tie the safety knot.
I saw the hard rocks, slightly damp.
I taste the dirt blowing around.
I reach the top and ask how far down I am.
My Dad replies, “50 feet.” I look down and
feel sort of sick. I get levered down.
I feel wonderful.
“I climbed 50 feet!”

by Kyzlen Stein


Death

Candy lawn secrets Harry knew
Christmas forever
magic wands
chamber blood
hundred hears dead
scraped to kill
dragon dogs
to get
the
elixir of life
to be free
from the
clutches
of death
death
no
more
(but maybe)

by Skylar Barbour-Harrell


Homework Problem

Why is homework so hard?
With math problems
Can you define leotard?
NO more math problems.

With math problems
Can you define leotard?
NO more math problems.
Why is homework so hard?

Can you define leotard?
NO more math problems.
Why is homework so hard?
OH! NO! More math problems!

NO more math problems!
Oooooooh! Nooooooo! More math problems!
Why is homework so hard?
Finally! It’s done. YES!

by Douglas Franklin


The Bullet Hole
(Found in Canyons by Gary Paulsen)

A soft nudge
A command
Maybe a request
No it’s a thought
I picked up the skull again
Very old maybe as big
As a backpack
No lower jaw
Filled with dirt
And small rocks
Eye sockets
Nose holes
Upper teeth
Back of skull MISSING
But something is wrong-
Round
Hole in front
Above eyes
Size of index
Finger
A BULLET HOLE!

By Sarah Iobst


Water

Water

Is fun to play with.

It is clean and clear

And like the air.

Water

Is sometimes

Like the sky.

By Luis Romero


Listening to Wildlife

Dropping leaves disappeared, smashed.
Vigorous swamps swam with life.
I saw.
Listening to wildlife.
Animals? Crazy.
SURPRISE!
Squirrels disappeared.
Smelled.
Saw.
Listened.
Climbing animals.
I was going crazy.
No, it was beautiful.

By Maria Yaquelin Calderilla L.

Captain Field Day
(Found in Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park)

I ran fast as a rabbit.
Faster,
Faster,
Faster.
OH NO!
MY SHOE!

High in the air it went.
I run after it.

The kids shouted,
SSTTOOPP!!

Go, William, Go!
NOOOOO!!

They won!

By Yulissa Huila-Carabantes


Image
(Found in Heartbeat by Sharon Creech)

I lie back
With white paper
Thick, white, smooth paper
And draw Grandpa's face from my mind
His profile
Wide, unruly nose
Noble down-turned mouth
Brown spot on chin
I close my eyes
Grandpa's image fades into colored pencils,
charcoal pencils
Drawings.

By Maya Rockwell


The Hunting Animal

A rattling noise
came from
the forest.

Someone, something THINKING
of a COMMAND, or

A
REQUEST

Or something in
the MOONLIGHT.

All of a sudden out of nowhere

BOOOMMMM!!!
A loud noise came
From a HUGE ....

By Desiray Almaraz


Holes
(Found in Canyons by Gary Paulsen)

A rattling
Skull roughly
Fell into a gaping hole
Sand roughly
Fell into
Small eye sockets
From a bullet hole

It filled
With old dirt
From a hole
in front of the hole!

By Hayden Rogers


One Day

One day quite a while ago I decided I wanted to play trumpet, so I joined band. But the easiest part wasn't easy at all.
So I asked my Dad to show me how to hold it, and he showed me.
"Your hand goes here," he said. I could see the case's velvet, soft like silk.
"Like this?" I said.
"Almost, your thumb goes here."
"So here?"
"There. Now, pinky here."
"Like so?"
"Good."

By Matt Armstrong


The Scary Blob

Bob the scary blob
bites at your feet
one eyed freak
will kill a mouse like a hungry cat

Bites at your feet
crazy and always jumping
will kill a mouse like a hungry cat
takes many different forms

Crazy and always jumping
he'll take your dog
takes many different forms
loves tricking people

He'll deceive you in human form
one eyed freak
loves fooling fools
Bob the scary blob

By Kally Wenz


Blueberries

I could smell blueberries. A kid
named Noah and I were walking
behind the blueberries. There was
also thorns. Noah fell and got some
thorns in his gut.

By David Crowder


The Game

The game is today
we stretch and run
dribble and jog
hope to win

We stretch and run
yelling a team cheer
hope to win
run out on the field

Yelling a team cheer
I kick off the ball
run out on the field
passing and dribbling

I kick off the ball
we run in formation
passing and dribbling
it soars into the net

We run in formation
laughing joyfully
it soars into the net
we've made a goal

Laughing joyfully
dribble and jog
it soars into the net
the game is today

By Abby Dennis


Beauty
(Found in Beauty, by Bill Wallace)

“Go run her”
“Take her out”
South pasture
There’s cow trails
Flat grounds
Canyons and
Farms.
She is slow
Old,
Bad balanced,
Fun and
BIG!
Dark blonde mane flapping
In the air.
Hoof
Flipped
Dirt clod in
Pond.
Frogs
Go
Plop.
Ready to ride?

By Sarah Iobst


Homework

I am a homework sheet.

I am as boring as a not funny comedian.

I am like a shark ready to devour you as soon as you fall asleep.

I am the dreaded homework.

I make you cry at the sight of me.

I could rule the world with my boringness.

I…..am……

HOMEWORK!

By Ethan Brunton


Grease Monkey

I am a grease monkey.

I am so slippery.

I slip and slide wherever I go.

I can squeeze through any hole.

I have my one song- Grease Monkey.

I make grease roads.

I am a grease monkey.

By Felix Heredia


In the Summer

In the summer there was a huge brown and white dog that would lick me up when thistles stuck to me.

It felt like nettles poking me one at a time, while I looked, pointed and laughed.

Around my house it smelled like water only because I lived by the river. Lots of tragic things happen there.

When I got bored I put my dog in the backyard or I played catch. He ran like a speedy bullet.

Right behind the train tracks most people died! I thought it was a death trap!

I mostly hid near the house in the dead grass that was yellow and smelled like water.

By Celia Hernandez


Golden Brown Bread

Early in the morning the witch was making bread. The witch wanted to look in
to check if it was golden brown.
So the witch stuck her head in
and Gretel pushed the witch in.
The witch was burned to ashes.

By Miguel Lemmon


Crazy Cat

A crazy cat can be black.
My friend has a black cat.
The black cat gets crazy on Friday the 13th.
The black cat spilt salt on the floor.

My friend has a black cat.
The cat gets mad when night is over.
The black cat spilt some salt on the floor.
The cat is wild and mean.

The cat gets mad when night is over.
The cat comes from the dark.
The cat has 9 lives but this cat has 1.
The cat is wild and mean.
1 thing, that cat is old.

The cat can party so much.
The cat gets crazy at night.
The cat gets ran over by a car.
A crazy cat can be black.

By Jose Salguero


My First Time

My grandpa taught me how to ride a horse.
I smelled the horse drooling.
I felt fur rubbing on my hands.
I heard the horse running.
I tasted dirt every time I fell off.

By Nick Ingram


Hidden Predator

Stalking his prey
Eyes sharp as needles
Staring straight.
Locked on his target.

Eyes sharp as needles
Following his prey.
Through the bushes,
Smelling the air.

Following his prey
Fast like lightning
Smelling the air.
Creeping slow though.

Fast like lightning
With the prey not knowing
Creeping slowly though.
Following his prey.

By Austin Erwin


My Backyard

My backyard
Fenced and shaded with trees
Bike riding around the block
No bullies

My backyard
Fenced and shaded with trees
Running cats and dogs
No crazy holidays
Many birds in the sky

My backyard
Fenced and shaded with trees

By Kamryn Ruthardt


A Cold Winter’s Night

It was a cold, cold day
Many things were on my mind
All those animals out there stray
Few people being kind.

Many things were on my mind
Poor people peeling rind
Few people being kind
The wind blew cold and changed the scene.

Poor people peeling rind
Many girls, a baby whined
The wind blew cold and changed the scene
A cat scurried by looking lean.

Lots of things could happen out there
All those animals out there stray
Continuous children going out to play
It was a cold, cold day.

By Clare Burkhardt


Alaska

Dug clams by the dozen in early light
Filleted fish that we caught
I got sick on a large boat swaying back and forth
The night always light

Filleted fish that we caught
Stayed in a cabin in the town of Homer
The night always light
A fireplace so bright

Stayed in a cabin in the town of Homer
Went down to the shore of the ocean
A fireplace so bright
Sitting by a campfire at winter’s night

Went to stores by the shores
I got sick on a large boat swaying back and forth
Dug clams by the dozen in early light

By Kayla McClain


The Creature

The strange creature
Flew down from space
I think.
It was big and green
Like a reptile.
It had sharp teeth
Long and pointy
Like a leopard.
It could swim
Like a whale.
I hope it isn’t
Dangerous.

By Jabal Gilbert