Pursuit of Poetry:
Ms. Weselman's Class
[On December 1, 2000, Ms. Wesselman'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."
Also see the individual poems written
by the students, after their visit to the exhibit.]
I am—
I am the lovely sunlight
that just rose up from the night's silence.
I am the owl singing all over the world.
I am the strong mountain
holding my sister up on my hands.
I am the flying squirrel aiming at the next tree.
My aim is as big as a dog's bark in the night.
I am the quiet lion when it's getting its food.
I am the sweet kitty who plays all day
I write as fast as the dolphin swims.
I am the fast flying dragon.
I am the monkey who can hop over a big tree.
I am the fish swimming under
the deepest ocean.
I am the fish who swims the ocean
dodging sharks.
Sticking to the reefs? Never.
Always swimming.
I am the seal who can swim
all around
the world.
I am the diving dolphin who can jump
to the bottom of the sea.
I am the moneky who can climb
a tree in five minutes.
I am the smart bear.
I am the elephant who kicks hard.
I am the fast cheetah.
I am the fast cheetah that can run
a mile in a minute.
I am the fast cheetah that runs
from Mexico to New York in less than one hour.
I am the fast cheetah that can run
around the world in less than two seconds.
I am the fast cheetah that runs
from the earth to the sun and back
I am the falcon diving to the center of the earth
to get a rabbit.
I am the strong brown grizzly bear.
I am the fast lion.
I throw as high as the kangaroo can jump.
I am the kangaroo who jumps to the moon.
I am the rabbit who jumps
over Mount Everest.
I am Michael Jordan who can shoot
like a shooting star.
I run like Eddie George and catch like Randy Moss.
I am a monkey.
I can catch like Jerry Rice catches.
I run as fast as Michael Jonson.
I can pass like Mugsy Bouges passes.
I'm as good a basketball player as Antoin Jamison.
I can shoot like Kobe Bryant.
I have moves like Jason Willliams.
I'm as fast as Bobby Surra.
I can pass like Larry Hugs.
I can dunk like Mugsey.
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