DOCUMENT RESUME ED 458 627 CS 217 758 AUTHOR Brewbaker, James, Ed.; Hyland, Dawnelle J., Ed. TITLE Poems by Adolescents and Adults: A Thematic Collection for Middle School and High School. INSTITUTION National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana, IL. ISBN ISBN-0-8141-3563-3 PUB DATE 2002-00-00 NOTE 270p.; Sponsored by the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE (ALAN) Research Foundation. AVAILABLE FROM National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096 (Stock No. 35633-3050: $23.95, members; $33.95, nonmembers). Tel: 800-369-6283 (Toll Free); Web site http://www.ncte.org. PUB TYPE Collected Works General (020) Creative Works (030) Guides Classroom Teacher (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC11 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Anthologies; Class Activities; Classroom Techniques; Creative Writing; High Schools; Middle Schools; *Poetry; *Poets; *Thematic Approach IDENTIFIERS Poetic Forms; *Young Authors ABSTRACT This book, a collection of poems by adolescents and adults, is designed to offer teachers a supplement to the standard middle school and high school literature anthologies. Divided into 11 themed sections, the collection mixes more than 100 poems by students in grades 5 to 12 with more than 40 pieces by adults, including well-known writers such as William Stafford, Nikki Giovanni, Gary Soto, and Sandra Cisneros, as well as classroom teachers whose work has been published in "English Journal." The book's themes range widely--from family relations to peer pressure, from school life to social issues, and from love to hopes for the future--in poems that are sometimes playful, sometimes deeply felt, sometimes provocative, and always of high interest to students. Each section in the book begins with an introduction in which the editors offer reminiscences centered on the theme and suggest ways to cluster the poems with both traditional and young adult literature. The collection offers teachers an accessible resource for planning classroom activities, promoting discussion, and engaging students in thinking about how poetry can be meaningful in their lives. Appended are book resources for using/teaching poetry; an annotated list of recent "English Journal" and "Voices from the Middle" articles on using/teaching poetry; recommended Web sites on poetry in the classroom; and a list of adolescent poets' hometowns, schools, and teachers. (NKA) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY MI N TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) O This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy D Li N by Adolescents and Adults To@oodk Eolh&orki h Sc ool Sc oo Edited by James Brewbaker and Dawnelle J. Hyland BEST COPY AVAILABLE POEMS BY ADOLESCENTS AND ADULTS NCTE EDITORIAL BOARD: Willie Mae Crews, Colleen Fairbanks, Cora Lee Five, Andrea Lunsford, Jaime Armin Mejia, Kyoko Sato, Jackie Swensson, Gail Wood, Zarina M. Hock, Chair, ex officio, Kent Williamson, ex officio, Peter Feely, ex officio Poems by Adolescents and Adults A Thematic Collection for Middle School and High School Edited by JAMES BREWBAKER Columbus State University Columbus, Georgia DAWNELLE J. HYLAND Chewning Middle School Durham, North Carolina National Council of Teachers of English 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, Illinois 61801-1096 Staff Editor: Tom Tiller Interior Design: Jenny Jensen Greenleaf Cover Design: Pat Mayer NCTE Stock Number: 35633-3050 ©2002 by the National Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or trans- mitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including pho- tocopy, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the copyright holder. Printed in the United States of America. It is the policy of NCTE in its journals and other publications to provide a forum for the open discussion of ideas concerning the content and the teach- ing of English and the language arts. Publicity accorded to any particular point of view does not imply endorsement by the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, or the membership at large, except in announcements of policy, where such endorsement is clearly specified. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Poems by adolescents and adults : a thematic collection for middle school and high school / edited by James Brewbaker [and] Dawnelle J. Hyland. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-8141-3563-3 (pbk.) 1. Young adult poetry, American 2. Youths' writings, American. I. Brewbaker, James, 1930 II. Hyland, Dawnelle, J., 1974 PS586.3 .P637 2002 811'.60809283dc21 2001044527 WO CONTENTS PERMISSIONS XV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS XiX PREFACE xxiii INTRODUCTION 1 I At Home: The Person, the Family 1 Masks and the Search for Identity 25 Behind Grandma's House Gary Soto 29 A Piece of Furniture Laura Beth Ma lick 30 Pretty Parcel Gina Marie Damiano 31 You're Who? Heather Miser 32 I Used to Try Not to Look Down Allison Stevens 33 Play Pretend Jeremy Stoll 34 The Adolescent Essence Gina Marie Damiano 35 Shadowed Thoughts Faye D. Christensen 35 Unfortunately Amanda Gagliardi 36 Chock-Full of You Gina Marie Damiano 37 An Answer to a Liberal's Question: What Can I Do about Prejudice? Tykeria T. Muhammad 38 Poem for Flora Nikki Giovanni 39 V Contents 2 Gender 41 A Farewell, Age Ten William Stafford 45 Around the High School John Laue 46 Heart Attack Charity Koone 47 Moon and Stars Sue Glasco 47 Olga N. C. Krim 48 Electra Leah Lenk 49 Instruction Conrad Hilberry 50 how the cookie crumbles (jane's sweet revenge) Danielle Mangano 50 My Father Mows the Lawn Roodabeh Samimi 52 Riding the Moon Lindsey J. Blackburn 53 Jenny Says Joseph H. Ball 54 3 Body, Mind, and Spirit 55 The Dancer Valerie Voter Bos 59 Twenty-Five Minutes on the Stairmaster Kristen Haver 60 Pumping Iron Diane Ackerman 62 Match Point Jonathan Liebtag 62 Forgotten Rainbow Kristen Mac Gorman 63 The Runner Chris Gibbs 64 Twenty-Five Knots David M. Darst Jr. 64 An Endless Plane of Squares Andrew Shawhan 65 Bowling Josh Sommers 66 Contents A Little More Emily Tancer 66 Ski Tara Ritchie 67 The Assist Kellen Walter 68 Start to Finish Laura Pope 68 Progression Josh Robinson 69 Coach Charles Ghigna 70 4 Generations 72 Making a Briquette Chimney Philip Venzke 76 It's Only a Tattoo Shannon Iezzi 77 Take Your Elbows Off the Table Mary F. Jenkins 78 Grandma and Me Mandy Glover 79 My Mother Alexa Baz 80 Grandma's Ranch Kelly Boss 81 flight Saritha Peruri 82 My Wicked Wicked Ways Sandra Cisneros 83 Giggle from the Sea Tara Ritchie 84 Last Photograph Margo Zuffante 86 J. T. David M. Darst Jr. 87 June 2, 1989 Courtney Bush 88 Little Girl Grown Up Sarah Hool 89 Sitting on the Yellow Pages Myrna Enamorado 90 vii 9 Contents Everlasting Baggage Andrea D. Firestone 91 Blueberry Pie Nancy Gorrell 92 II Close to Home: Classmates, Friends, and Others 5 School Life 95 Why I Write Poetry Kaitlyn Gilles 100 Your Head Is Spinning Round and Round Lochanda Col lick 101 What's in a Locker? Fran Haraway 102 Shoes Lucy DePree 103 My ClassFifth Grade Kathleen Iddings 105 Children's Jail Derik Gummesen 106 A Report Susan Floyd 106 A Self-Divided Class Tina Gupta 107 Outing David Burk 108 Lunchtime at Prien Lake Elementary School Bonny Leah McDonald 109 The Alien Danielle Kaufman 110 Another Average Girl Jennifer Patterson 111 What I Learned in School Today Devan Satterwhite 111 The Bully Diana Levy 112 Notes for a Writing Instructor Dan Verner 112 On Wiesel's Night Thomas E. Thornton 114 yin --- 0 Contents 6 Individual/GrouplCrowd 115 Some Things Suburban Barry Floyd 119 Corrupted Soul Shannon Parkison 121 Heartland Lindsey J. Blackburn 122 how things work Jaclyn Peterson 123 the unplayed taps Joseph McGill 124 A Slave's Journal Entry Daniel Chavez 124 The Awakening Philip Odango 125 Boarding House Ted Kooser 125 Traffic Jonathan Harrington 126 Road Shoulder Mail Boxes Mary Ellen Kinkead 127 7 Peers 128 Linens Sarah Sando 133 How Could She Forgive Me? Emma Halpern 134 Together Katrina Gomez 135 Summer Day Memories Kristen Propst 136 Stir the Fire Adrian Pauw 136 Little Miss Perfect Karlie Bryant 138 How Different People Talk in Different Ways Jessica Pratt 138 Responsibility Nathan Marwell 139 I Would Never Lie to You Orion Nessly 140 I 1. Contents The Day Willie Missed the Bus Gene Fehler 141 Who Would've Thought Kathi Appelt 142 Final Note Joan Schulz 144 Beating Up Billy Murphy in Fifth Grade Kathleen Aguero 145 The Bully Ryan Starbird 146 8 Love 147 Blinded by the Sun Alison Faucher 153 Coin Laundry Rachel Devenish 154 Drawn Tiffany Brandy Trawick 155 The Bark of Love Donald Graves 156 Damsels and Dragons Tara Nicole Tonsor 158 Our Separate Ways Amy Licatovich 159 One-Sided Love Corinne Lampe 160 Lovesong Lindsey J. Blackburn 161 Love, Such a Wonderful Thing Jeremy Casey 162 A Game Derik Gummesen 162 I Know David Clark 163 That Kiss Kathi Appelt 164 First Kiss Jenny Davis 165 Kiss Holly Bailey 166 Women David Clark 166 X I 2 Contents Housecleaning Nikki Giovanni 167 Separation W. S. Merwin 167 A Poem of Friendship Nikki Giovanni 168 III A Larger World: Personal and Public Issues and Choices 9 Choices, Choices, Choices 171 They Call Themselves Gang-Bangers Katie Moon 176 The Bowman's Hand Charles Ghigna 176 Sweep Me Clean Elena Rente 178 Too Early: Learn to Wait Shannon Barr 179 Why? Pamela Buttner 180 Prom Night Crystal Gossard 181 Recipe Janice Mirikitani 182 Deadly Party Tracy Thompson 183 Have Fun! John Cameron 183 The Canadian War Desirae Andrabovitch 184 Girl in the Doorway B.