Postcard Haiku

Students in the Voice and Vision class today looked at examples of haiku. They were given a selection of artwork in the form of postcards and asked to create haiku or near haiku in response to images ranging from Franz Marc’s massive animals, Jacob Lawrence’s depictions of African American life and Japanese nature inspired wood-block prints among other things.
Most poems are untitled but are presented here with the painting title and artist.

Upon the heath of spring
we find our hero laughing at
the killing killing killing joke.

Vlad inspired by “Junior Wells” by Frederick Brown

I never forget
to forget is to kill him
he lives in pictures.

Michael inspired by “Dreams No. 2” by Jacob Lawrence

Bright skirts and dresses.
The uniform of summer.
The schoolyard music.

Anna inspired by “School’s Out” by Allan Rohan Crite

I’m running away angry
Fly me away on your dreams
Forget that which lags

Kelsey inspired by “Enchanted Ride” by Bob Thompson

You snuck in from the night time
Like frozen colors sneak onto
You now- glossy eyes

Camila inspired by Untitled abstract-artist unknown

Negro Men
Color wasted on
Negro men who got bulky
Hands trapped by massa.

Gabriel inspired by “Harvest Talk” by Charles Wilbert White

White snow turned golden
By the shining winter sun.
Hoofprints in the snow.

Anna inspired by “Mount Equinox, Winter” by Rockwell Kent

wild and untamed
broken by nothing is he
my heart envies him

Kelsey inspired by “The Blue Rider and his Horse” by Franz Marc

At the horizon
the sun is setting down on
the poor and withered farmer

Vlad inspired by “Seaweed Gatherers” by Edward Mitchell Bannister

Every night he took
off his happy face mask to
wait for his next show.

Gabriel inspired by “Self Portrait” by Malvin Gray Johnson

The strong crash of waves
tosses flecks of blue and green
I become content.

Anna inspired by “Fisherman at Sea” by Henry Ossawa Tanner

Coming at full speed
Clouds of dust following them
Disturbing silence

Jenny inspired by “Tower of Blue Horses” by Franz Marc

Swirl swish harsh lines fly
Egypt farmer New York Ocean
Chaotic splendor

Kimisha inspired by “Cows” by Franz Marc

Dirt-filled ice naps
Hair caught in the earth cracks
The sky looks large

Camila inspired by “Clear Day with a Southern Breeze” by Katsushika Hokusai

The movement within
Flows around the consistency
Of two beating hearts

Rebecca inspired by “Red Deers” by Franz Marc

I walk on French streets
Feeling the hot summer sun
I will return home

Michael inspired by “Street Scene, Tangier” by Henry Ossawa Tanner

We gain our knowledge
To rise and overcome them
Books are the answer.

Michael inspired by “The Library” by Jacob Lawrence

Anger in his stare
Instills fear with his mighty call
Eyes and body one color

Jenny inspired by “Tiger “by Franz Marc

The sun shining down.
Everyone happy and warm.
A nice Paris day.

Sarah inspired by “Jardin du Luxembourg” by Lois Mailou Jones

They lay in summer
They don’t know what we’re planning
We escape tonight

Michael inspired by “New Jersey” by Jacob Lawrence

African soil
Music escapes through dreaded locks
Wealth forgets poverty

Jasmine inspired by “What Comes Around Goes Around” by Krista Franklin

The sun rising high,
She thinks of a better world.
Real life: time to work.

Sarah inspired by “The Song of the Lark” by Jules Breton

Colors invading
different reflections of
the shattered stable

Rebecca inspired by “Stables” by Franz Marc

Children
Children look for love
Their love feeds our hopes
and dreams
The uprooted tree
weeps for love

Kellian inspired by “Men Exist for the Sake of One Another. Teach Them Then or Bear with Them” by Jacob Lawrence

Hatched strikes me
Yet I soothe you
But when will it be my turn?
Jasmine inspired by “Dreaming Horse” by Franz Marc

In my native land
The spring night fills me with joy
They are now married.

Michael inspired by “Fiesta en Jardin” by Paloma Hinojosa

Chaos shutters me
Covering what is not there
the orange, it soothes

Kelsey inspired by “Autumn Leaves Fluttering in the Breeze” by Alma Woodsey Thomas

African lovers
Mix colors with dancing to
Recreate freedom

Rebecca inspired by “Celebration” by Charles Seales

Farmer and his horse
Diff’rent kind of realism
Crude intricacy

Kimisha inspired by “Going to Market” by William H. Johnson

A Variety of Work

During our first semester classes, students worked hard to create writing that was both readable and listenable without compromising craft or performance. Students were asked to select the work they most wanted to appear here.

Shooting the Stars Anna F

The stars they drip down
in the night,
a wonderful wave of soundless light
They land and flower
in your mind,
burning away the
cold and unkind.
But, they don’t stop there
because, for them,
to deep in your heart
is buried the gem.
They pull and tear
at what is you.
Uncoil the strings,
unstuck the glue.
They make you quiet,
they make you cold,
they steal your mirth
and make you old.
Turn away from the fire
return to the ground.
The one that comforts you
safe and sound.

One Hand Brian R

Her hand
Touches
Mine
My hand
Touching
Hers.

Her hand
On
Mine
My hand
On
Hers.

Her hand
In
Mine,
My hand
In
Hers.

Her hand
Around
Mine
My hand
Around
Hers.

Our hands
Touching, on, in , around
Each other’s
Our hands
Becoming
One hand.

Relating One Event to All My Live Devin R

Remembering the joy that filled my ears
was once a pleasant journey.
Now, it’s a reminder of lost innocence
accompanied with the sting of pain
The parade of lights crowding Main Street
only brings back memories that trigger nostalgia.
I jump and clap to the beat of the drums
excited to see Mickey and Minnie marching with the band.
My mother yells, “Look!” But the figure of a man blocks my view.
My father rids me of the disappointment
that came over my heart,
by lifting me to his shoulders.
The heat is so overwhelming, but the excitement is even more so.
This contentment, this freedom, this innocence
is now lost to the depth of the years.
But the care and commitment is present.
My guardians forever protect me
from the evil hungers of this world.

Sick and Tired Bre’Shey K

I’m screamed at
and misunderstood.
My heart is hurting
this pain is unbearable.

This poisonous love
or “hatred of words”
has tortured all hearts
that could’ve been pure.

And I’m exhausted
tired
sick and tired.

Pulling me one way and
then the other.
Pulled by one who loves me
all of me.
And one who loves me
just very differently.

Pulled so much
I think I might break
piece by piece, I will no longer have existence.

And I’m tired of explaining.
Explaining who I am.
Why do I need approval
to be what I am?

Pulling my heart
has made me cold.
Colder than your last frost bite
that’s dying for mending.

But the last tear has formed
rolling down my face
dying at my lips.
Freeing all restraints
that give me so much pain.

And I’m sick and tired
just
sick and tired!

Untitled Noni B

Running down the street and there ain’t no other. Wind whipping past my face
and looking like I’m ready to have it. See you and yet you ignore me. I touch you and you resist… I look at you… you look away. I love you but you’re not in love today. I cry now and you wake me from my dreams…I’m crying now and you hold me in your arms…you say you love me but love isn’t what it seems because we just broke up and now you’re laying here with me in my dreams.

Darkened Love Tasha W

I sing softly, you come slowly
hesitant of what may happen
I reach out for you, ready for your warmth.
You hold back, not prepared for love.
I cry between shouts for your one-sided love.
You back into the darkness from where you came.
I soak my heart with pain, hoping for it to dry.
Alone again.

A Confused 5th Grade Face Maleia R

A confused 5th grade face,
a broken heart that bleeds tears.
Lost, confused, dazed.
Can’t understand, why not?
Why not what?
A confused 5th grade face,
watches running, screaming, fear pain.
Screaming in the mouths of many
fear in eyes of many
pain in the hearts of many.
Why?
Because they don’t like us.
Who?
Them.
Well why?
Why not?
A confused 5th grade face
isn’t so confused anymore.
We’re different, they hate us,
They weaken us.
How?
By killing us.
By crashing our own planes into our own buildings.
Why?
Why a confused 5th grade face?
Because she was coming to learn hatred.

Treasured Amber J

Spreading the icing atop our cupcake of romance
tucking it away in the compartment of my heart aptly name, “Love.”
Christened with the blood of lambs and holy water.
Thicker than the decomposing Egyptian kinds of yester years.
Hiding a 9mm in case I get mugged
‘cuz what I own is priceless.
Footsteps trace my own
While a trail of ribbons guide me to him
“X” marked the spot.
And while boom boxes blast temptation from every direction
I just cross my heart, hope to live and lock my “Love” compartment
Until I give him the golden key.

Pinochet Francisca R

So you think I’m making such a big deal about this? Let it go? I don’t think so.
Abandon the stage? Yeah, you’d like that. We know what happened to all those people. Missing? I doubt it. You’ve tried to hide the truth and you ended up like them, 8 meters buried underneath the land you tore apart. Families you destroyed, still devastated by the news they once received and that changed their lives forever.
A country, a civilization, you dragged back until they saw nothing but clear darkness. It still tries to stand out like a lamed child that has potential and can’t succeed. You’ll pay your price when the day comes For now, I thank you for giving me a reason to write.

Dependent upon Incomprehensible Skittles

Welcome to the Walter Payton College Prep Blog!
I’ll be posting work created in the Poetry Out Loud Seminar.
Students in the class will decide if they wish their work to appear here.
In our most recent class, we looked at ‘This is Just to Say’ by W. C. Williams and ‘So Much Depends’ by Edward E. Wilson.
Students wrote in response to our conversation about the work and were encouraged to say what so much depends on, for them.

The Sky- Anna F.

So much depends on
looking up.

The narrator said
“it is incomprehensible and therefore meaningless.”
Swirling colors, egg shells,
jets, arms
absolute nothing.
Absolute.

But we can’t see it.
Little white dots blinking at us
from above.

Perspective
Chance
Hope for company
An expanse of light and dark and color and nothing
weighing on us from above
as we look up.
Incomprehensible beauty created
we know not how (tiny strings?)
Perspective. Perspective.

Skittles- Britney F.

So much depends
on this .5 gram bag
of Skittles.

Metaphorically, these
colors,
this difference between everyone
and everything.

This green, purple, yellow, orange, and red.
This Black, Hispanic, Caucasian, and Asian.
This grape, strawberry, lemon, and lime.
This short, tall, funny, and serious.

Without this red bag
there is gray
only similarities
Just one…

Dependent Upon- Joshua W.

Without it, you are alone
without it, you are confused.
You feel as though you have no
purpose and you don’t know what to do

Can you fill in the black?
Do you have the answer to the question?
Does it cause your hope to rise?
Does it cause your ambition to lessen?

Truth is, there isn’t just one response.
Different people need different things.
There are those who depend on love and compassion.
There are those who depend on jewelry and diamond rings.

I am a person dependent upon a lot.
A person dependent upon the truth.
One dependent on love and happiness
both of which come from you.

You are my very foundation.
You are the gasoline added to my fire.
You are the epitome of my happiness
the object of my desire.

Without you there is no me.
Without you I feel incomplete.
It’s something I can’t help.
I see your face and my body becomes weak.

This is the true meaning of love.
We are two halves of the same heart.
You are where my love begins.
You are where my happiness starts.

If you were ever to go, to ever leave
I’d have no idea how to go on.
When I’m with you everything feels right
it can never be wrong.

I hope you fell the same way.
If not now, then maybe in time.
I am not dependent upon a lot
as long as you’re mine.

I would never hurt you.
Never wish to cause you tears.
I just feel you should know,
my life with out you is truly my greatest fear.