Pursuit of Poetry:
Ms. Oretsky's Class

[On December 1, 2000, Ms.Oretsky's 5th grade class at Crocker Highland School in Oakland, California wrote this group poem. 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 artistic dragon who crawls
   through the mountain to the sunlight.

I am the swift fish who swims across the universe.

I am the graceful dolphin who dives through the waves.

I am the robin in the morning when he fills
   his chest up with air and lets it out in
a beautiful song.

I am the pogo stick who jumps all day.

I am the strong bear who climbs the Rocky Mountain.

I am the strong bear who lifts bolders.

I am the strong grizzly bear that lifts mountains.

I am the strong basilisk lizard who
  walks on water and
    fords through rapids.

I am the strong monkey climbing trees
and swinging by every day.

I am the bear who catches ten five at a time
in the freezing river.

I am the talkative parrot who yaps away for hours.

I am the sneaky, mighty panther who roams
     the rain forest.

I am the picky hummingbird who chooses
     the perfect flower to drink.

I am the lion roaming the jungle.

I am the strong ox who can knock down any wall.
I am the smart fox who can fool
any human or animal.

I am the smart fox who can outwit a giant bear.

I am the tall giraffe that eats from the tallest tree
in the world.

I am the pretty rose that blossoms all day long.

I am better aiming a camera than the eagle catching
ten fish at once.

I am the shy squirrel who finds the best
hiding places.

I am the fast cheetah when he hunts his prey.

I am the fast cheetah who runs faster than the wind.

I am the fast cheetah who catches his food while he or she is running!

I am the fast cheetah who can run from China to Africa in one day.

I am the fast great white shark who can swim
across the bodies of waters on the world.

I am the graceful swan who can float in the air.
I am the fast soaring eagle who can fly around the world in one day.

I am the smart dolphin who swims to the warm
         sun of the heavens.

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