Pursuit of Poetry:
Ms. Mebine's Class

[On December 8, 2000, Ms. Mebine's 4th grade class at Haight Elementary School in Alameda, California wrote this group poem, playing with metaphor and simile. The class was preparing to visit The Oakland Museum's exhibit, "Secret World of the Forbidden City: Splendors from China's Imperial Palace."

I am—

I am the strong cheetah running
   across the sandy desert.
I am the strong dolphin jumping
   in the glooming summer sky.

I am the bright sun beaming on
    a golden dragon in the African desert.
I am the smart silver mouse looking for crumbs
   at the midnight hour.
I am the smart golden snake hunting for his prey.

I am the light feather that floats in the sky
on its way to the ground.
I am the light balloon that in the sky
on its way to heaven.

I am the clever hawk who swoops down
   to the water.

I am the tricky king cobra blending into the wild forest.

I am the very, very smart rat running from an
   intelligent cat.
I am the smart dog chasing the cat.

I am the smart silver dolphin
   who jumps over the moon at night.

I am the clever lion who prowls in
   the golden grass of Africa.

I am the clever fox
I am the clever fox who tricks,
and do my best.

I am the wonderful horse.

I am the smart cat who sneeks up on their prey.

I am the strong dragon.
I can jump as far as a pig.

I am the strong cobra
fighting and defeating a mongoose.

I am the strong lion
holding a bear's head and killing it.

I am the strong horse beating another horse.
I am the strong cheetah trying to kill a deer.
I am the strong ape trying to kill for food.

I am the strong bear.
   I might be wrong but I might be right.
I can climb a tree, but sometimes I fall
but most of the time I make it up the huge tree.
I can run as fast as a cheetah.
My body is fast for I can rotate where I want.

I am the strong dragon that flies
   through the fire of a volcano.
I am the tiger striking
   like lightning at its prey.

I am the strong dog chasing a cat.
I am the strong fish who dives to
    the bottom of the ocean.

I am the strong horse that runs on a farm.
I am the strong bird flying in the air.
I am the strong fish that is swimming from a shark!
I am the strong emperor sleeping in his bed.

I am the strong eagle
   who flies across the sun.
I am the strong eagle
   who hunts for his prey.
I am the strong wolf
   who fights the grizzly bear
I am the strong eagle
   flying through the burning sun
I am the fast wolf
   who races through the forest.

I am the fierce Pokeman master
I beat up anything that gets in my way.
I am a fierce trainer.

I am the fast rabbit running down a hill
I am the fast fox running up the steep hill
I am the sneaky snake sliding toward a mouse.

I am the handsome horse wagging its tail
   in the windy night.
I am the handsome baboon jumping
   in the trees.

I am the strong dragon who is hunting for his lunch.
I am the strong dragon that no one would dare attack.
I am a fierce dragon that no animal would attack.
I am the strong dragon who is hunting for a bear.

I am the powerful Great White Shark's jaws
that come down and tears his prey to pieces.
I am the lethal cheetah stocking his prey
in the wild.

I am the graceful unicorn.
I am the graceful mermaid swimming in the sea.
I am the graceful leaf falling from a tree.

I am the beautiful unicorn gazing at the water.

I draw as well as Mother Nature herself.
And when lazy, it's as ugly as the dead world.

My pictures are like the waves that crash
   against the sand in the midnight.
Then when they are finished,
   they are masterpieces of the mind.

I am the soaring eagle flying through the cold,
   moist air to get to the moon.
I am the fast swimming fish fliding along the green,
   glimmering sea week to get to the bottom of the sea.

I am the thorough beaver building his dam.
I am the thorough bluebird making its nest.

I am as talented as a baseball player can be.
I hit the ball as hard as a jack hammer hits the ground.
The ball goes as far as an eagle can fly.
I play every night and every day.

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